Your support of the United Church of Christ’s USA Emergency Fund keeps up poised to help those left in need after hurricane devastation. We are grateful for your previous gifts that have assisted thousands of individuals and communities in recovering and rebuilding from tremendous loss. We ask that you extend your generosity to those in the southern US affected by Hurricane Ida.
United Church of Christ clergy, congregants, and disaster teams are waiting to learn more about the destruction left behind by Hurricane Ida. The Category 4 storm barreled into the Louisiana Gulf Coast on Sunday, Aug. 29, swamping New Orleans and taking down the power grid.
It also brought torrential rains, high winds, and floodwaters to parts of Alabama and Mississippi. The storm arrived 16 years after Hurricane Katrina slammed that same area, leaving 1,800 people dead.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Lesli Remaly, minister for disaster response and recovery with the UCC’s Global H.O.P.E. team. “Raising money for a storm this size certainly makes good sense, as we know long-term recovery and rebuilding will be necessary,” Remaly said.
Four deaths have been confirmed. Reports of injuries and deaths are expected to climb as communication returns.
The president of the power company Entergy said more than 2,000 miles of transmission lines are out of service across Louisiana. More than 1 million customers in Louisiana and Mississippi, including all of New Orleans, were left in the dark. And it may be weeks, in some spots, before the power comes back.
The flood threat in Ida’s aftermath stretches from the Gulf into the northeast. Some 71 million people were under a flash flood watch or warning as of Tuesday morning. Torrential rains are expected as the storm moves north.
How to help
The UCC has launched a Severe Storms 2021 appeal to receive donations for Hurricane Ida relief. Please visit here to make your gift. You may also text SevereStorm2021 to 41444 to make a donation.
Thank you for your gift.
