The Church of God International Offices continues to monitor updates from all affected regions of Hurricane Gustave. Operation Compassion has moved into the region to assist in the relief effort and has offered the following updates:
Dave Lorency of Operation Compassion and Dr. Donnie Smith, director of Care Ministries are in daily communication with Administrative Bishops Rev. Bob Moore of Louisiana and Rev. Terry Hart of Mississippi concerning conditions of their states.
Bishop Hart reports to date that all seems well in Mississippi and that he has not received any information concerning damage, but cautions it is still very early to tell. Operation Compassion has a staging area in Biloxi, Mississippi and Community Service Chaplains are prepared to move into needed areas to assist with counseling needs and service assistance. Chaplains in the state of Alabama and other surrounding states are waiting to be called upon to move into needed areas, however, the Red Cross states that the earliest move in time will be about Thursday morning.
According to Bishop Moore, the state of Louisiana has sustained a large amount of damage. The Louisiana state office sustained about 15% damage, mostly on the roofing area. The following cities have sustained great damage: Lafayette, Houma and Grand Isle. Also, west/northwest of New Orleans toward the Texas border a sizeable amount of damage has happened. There are no reports from the most southern areas of Louisiana which is assumed to be the hardest hit and areas of the most flooding (pastors in these areas have been evacuated and cannot return to assess damage as yet). The state is reporting that 1.4 million homes are still without power.
Operation Compassion has a 30,000 square feet warehouse in Baton Rouge that has not been damaged and is being provided by an Independent Pentecostal Church (the River of Life Church) in Baton Rouge (this is a church Operation Compassion helped restore during Hurricane Katrina and they are now making themselves available.) Two semi- trucks have already been emptied at this sight and five more are in route. At this site there are cots, freezers, coolers, pallet jacks, fork- lifts and showers. OC is also able to serve hot meals. God’s Pit Crew from Virginia is in route to this site.
Operation Compassion and the Church of God has been contacted by World Vision, World Relief, Feed the Children and the Knights of Templar which are all partner agencies for Operation Compassion and they are making their warehousing, supplies, etc. available for assistance. Aid has also been sent to Haiti and other countries that have been impacted by these hurricane/tropical storms.
The Department of Communications will continue to update as information is received from this region.