Just north of Tampa, Florida, Pasco County residents are cleaning up after historic flooding.
“There were areas where homes were cut off because the flood waters were trapped and the water couldn’t recede,” said Al New, manager of deployments and operations for the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team.
More than 400 homes were damaged or destroyed by floods that came after as much as 20 inches of rain poured down on the area.
The Rapid Response Team, a network of crisis-trained chaplains ready to deploy to disaster zones at a moment’s notice, sent eight chaplains to Pasco County, along with a Mobile Ministry Unit where chaplains often meet and pray with residents and first responders.
The chaplains deployed alongside sister ministry Samaritan’s Purse.
“With Samaritan’s Purse there doing the cleanup, the chaplains came along and get to meet the homeowners,” New said. “It’s hard for these homeowners. It’s not like a tornado where it comes in and takes everything away. In a flood, in most cases everything they own is in the home, but mementos, pictures—everything is destroyed or soaked in water.”
The chaplains met with residents as soon as it was safe to get into flooded neighborhoods.
“The goal is to come alongside of the residents as a ministry of presence,” New said. “Just loving on them, hugging them and giving them hope through Jesus Christ that they’ll get through this.”
With so much damage done, New is asking for believers to join in praying for the people of the Tampa Bay area.
“First of all, be praying for the residents,” New said. “Then of course pray for the chaplains and the Samaritan’s Purse teams as they go in. There will be times they’ll have to wear masks or body suits to keep contaminated water off them, so pray that God will give them physical strength as much as spiritual strength as they encounter the homeowners who are suffering so much right now.”
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has traveled to 12 U.S. cities so far this year, ministering in the aftermath of floods, tornadoes and shootings. Earlier this month the chaplains wrapped up a two-week deployment in Eastern Kentucky following deadly flooding there.
