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Storm Survey Shows Two Churches Badly Damaged
OVIEDO, FL (September 30, 2004) - Efforts continue to assess the amount of
damage to Evangelical Covenant Churches in Florida following
back-to-back hurricanes that have inflicted billions of dollars in damage.
Two Covenant churches suffered serious damage in the earlier storms
(Charley and Frances) with the most recent storm Jeanne inflicting yet
more damage, says Southeast Conference Supt. Kurt Miericke.
"The Church in Vero Beach has sustained significant damage and the only
usable part of their building is the sanctuary," he notes. "The rest has
significant water damage - sheet rock falling and other problems. The
temporary repairs to the church's roof from Hurricane Frances could not
hold with Hurricane Jeanne. We are trying to asses the damage and have a
contractor give us idea of the necessary repairs. So far Pastor Tristan
Hohler has not been able to get an insurance adjuster to the site - the
church has at least a $10,000 deductible on their insurance. The members
are busy trying to get their own homes together and do not have much
extra time to work on the church.
"The Royal Palm Church did not get as much damage as Vero Beach, but
they have significant roof damage and water damage to their sanctuary
and educational wing," he continued. "Mike Rose is the pastor and he
and his family are living in a motel since their rental house was
condemned. Pastor Jim Black did have some damage to his home - everyone
has some damage in these storms. I need a new roof and have temporary
patches holding things together." Miericke says efforts continue to
speak with someone from the Asbury Covenant church in Tavares to see if
that church sustained damage as well.
All remains calm at Covenant Village of Florida, says campus
administrator Judy Johnson. "I just finished a walk of the campus and we
are very grateful for another period of God's protection on our campus,"
she writes in an emailed update. Johnson recalled the morning Jeanne
approached the Florida coast. "When Hurricane Jeanne was not turning, we
went into full hurricane mode - shuttering, calling in the 'A Team.'
She had grown in intensity and size . . . and Covenant Village of
Florida was in the wind field of at least damaging tropical storm and
potential hurricane winds. We got residents to eat an early dinner and
sent dining staff home early. Later, we had a crew in every building
stay the night.
"We had tropical storm winds all night long with wind speeds in excess
of 60 mph," Johnson continues. "Rain came in bands, but since we were on
the 'dry' side of the hurricane, we didn't experience much flooding."
Damage to the campus was minimal, Johnson reports, limited largely to
trees and branches. "Since we lost so much in the last storm (Frances),
we didn't have as many
vulnerable trees this time," she notes. "We had flooding in three or
four apartment
balconies due to the driving rain.
"Thanks for all your prayers," she concludes. As I said earlier, we are
very grateful."
Efforts continue to assist Covenant churches in Florida and other states
where hurricane activity inflicted damage, according to Jim Sundholm,
director of Covenant World Relief. "We are responding and sending
dollars," Sundholm reports, "and we will continue to do so." Sundholm
requests that individuals interested in donating to the storm relief
effort make checks payable to Covenant World Relief, earmarked for
hurricane relief, and send them to Covenant World Relief, 5101 N.
Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.
More information will be posted to this online Covenant news report as
it becomes available.
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