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Covenanters Asked to Assist Hurricane Relief Effort
ORLANDO, FLORIDA (September 2, 2004) - Members of Evangelical Covenant
Churches from South Florida up through Orlando are bracing for Hurricane
Frances – a huge storm that some estimate could be two to three times
the magnitude of Hurricane Charley that devastated portions of the state
three weeks ago.
"Hurricane Frances is supposed to make hurricane Charley feel like a
Sunday school picnic," writes Kurt Miericke, superintendent of the
Southeast Conference, in an email update this morning. "People are
leaving here and the gas stations are already out of gas. We have just
gotten our lives and homes together from Charley's visit three weeks ago
- and now Frances. It is headed again right for Orlando. Someone
recently flew into the Orlando airport and wondered why so many people
had blue roofs! I explained that those are blue tarps strapped over the
roofs to keep the rain out (following the damage from Charley's
onslaught). Those tarps will all come off in this next round."
The National Hurricane Center today issued a hurricane warning for most
of Florida's east coast as Frances, a powerful Category 4 storm, moved
through the Bahamas. The warning extends from Florida City north to
Flagler Beach and means hurricane conditions are expected in the next 24
hours. A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning are also in effect
for the middle and upper Florida keys from south of Florida City to the
Seven Mile Bridge.
"This is a much bigger storm than Charley was, maybe two to three times
the size," said Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the National Hurricane
Center in Miami, who was quoted in an Associated Press report.
"There'll be a large area of damage when this comes ashore." At 11 a.m.
(Eastern time) this morning, Hurricane Frances was 450 miles
east-southeast of the lower Florida east coast, packing winds of up to
145 mph and moving west-northwest at nearly 13 mph.
"I have talked with several of our pastors along the East Coast and
Central Florida," Miericke reported. "The folks in Vero Beach have
evacuated (it is located just a few miles inland and could be in the
direct path). The Lighthouse Covenant Church in Tamarac, Hope Community
Covenant in Boynton Beach and the Royal Palm Beach churches are all
staying. Here in Orlando people are leaving right and left. The two
churches with buildings are getting prepared."
A major concern is the anticipated loss of electrical power for several
days, Miericke said, noting that no electric generators are to be found
in Florida. Miericke has helped orchestrate a backup plan to provide
generated electricity in each of nine locations, including Covenant
churches and conference offices, that would allow displaced families to
have a place to have a meal, receive news reports and enjoy other basic
amenities.
"After the storm - if needed - I have the Atlanta churches ready to make
an overnight
run down here with generators, gas and cooking stoves," Miericke
reported. "We would like to put one in each church and conference office
- that number could be nine. They are about $1,000 a piece. If the
Covenant family wants to help get us going again, it would be wonderful
for them to cover the cost of those generators."
A special Covenant relief fund was established to assist Covenant
churches with problems created by Hurricane Charley. Those interested in
supporting relief efforts as a result of Hurricane Frances may direct
gifts to Florida Hurricane Relief in care of the Evangelical Covenant
Church, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.
"We ask for the prayers of our Southeast Conference family and our other
Covenant friends to get us through this one," Miericke writes, closing
with a comment that suggests that even during the worst of times, a
little humor can help lift one's spirit. "I was looking in the Bible at
the list of things that will take place in the end time - and I couldn't
find a hurricane listed - so I am encouraged!"
More information will be posted to this online Covenant news report as
it becomes available.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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