Today marks the 7-year anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast. This landmark disaster has changed much about the way we repond to disaster, for Lutheran Disaster Response, our partners and our country’s government. Many of those lessons were hard-learned. Gaps in the system were learned and addressed in the midst of responding. Yet, from these trials there have been positive results.

As we take time today to pause and think back to the situation caused by Katrina in 2005 it seems appropriate to name some of the lessons learned. This is especially true as we are experiencing the landfall of Hurricane Isaac exactly 7 years later in this same region. (see photos at end of post)

Disaster Preparedness
One of the major lessons learned from Katrina was about what it meant to truly prepare for an incoming disaster. As we have been tracking the approach of Isaac (being on conference calls, following website postings, etc) it is clear that this region has been here before. People in charge are aware of what the situation may entail. The right organizations are talking to each other. Information is being shared in a timely and efficient manner.

And beyond this there are more tangible things like the story that Lutheran Disaster Response Director, Pastor Michael Stadie, shared with me. He was describing a news report from the French Quarter in New Orleans where the reporter was commenting on how much less debris there was blowing around and causing damage compared to Katrina. This lack of debris is in part due to better preparedness measures.

We Work Better Together
During Katrina a lot of disaster response agencies were all trying to do the same thing, meeting all of the needs they saw before them. This led to some areas getting double service while others were potentially missed. We have learned that working together through strong communications between our partners within the disaster resposne community and government agencies leads to a better, more effective, more efficient response. In the end of the day this means that more people will gain better services when they need them.

The Effects Extend Beyond the News Coverage
During Katrina the city of New Orleans captivated our attention as we saw with probably disbelief the damage nature can wreak, as well as the human-cause disasters that can arise when the response is not effective or timely. Yet we learned that both in time and geographic scope the effects of a disaster extend beyond what is covered by the media. During Katrina the areas around the Gulf Coast, from eastern Texas to Mobile, AL to Pensecola, FL felt the affects and were in need of response. Also, even seven years later there is still work that has just recently begun winding down in response to Katrina.

As we await the assessment of Isaac, we know that where we respond will be over a larger area than what is covered in the national media and will extend far beyond the time that the cameras are there. This is also a place where Lutheran Disaster Resposne has found a niche as we work to coordinate volunteers many months and years after a disaster. We also work through our affiliate network to help communities setup and manage their Long Term Recovery Committees that help address unmet needs as they arise.

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As we look into the future and the disaster it will inevitably bring, let us pause to give rememberance to Hurricane Katrina, the damage it caused and the hard lessons it taught us. May God grant us wisdom to learn from them and the patience and strength needed to put them into practice.

Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Click for larger image.

Hurricane Issac on August 29, 2012. Click for larger image.

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Gifts to ELCA Disaster Response allow the church to respond at home and globally in times of need. Donate now.

As the conflict in Syria continues to worsen some Syrians are beginning to cross the border into neighboring countries like Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. These countries are continuing their practice of keeping open borders for incoming refugees, even as this number moves towards 140,000. Yet a major question that comes with accepting refugees is how to make sure the refugees’ needs are met in ways that do not overtax the local population and continue to respect the dignity of all.
As Syria’s southern neighbor, Jordan is currently addressing this question as it plays host to about 150,000 Syrians (39,600 of which are registered with the UN as refugees). To meet the needs of these refugees, Jordan has established Za’atari refugee camp. This camp aims to be a positive sign in the midst of the current conflict.

The ELCA is blessed to have an opportunity to be involved in this important work. Early on in this process, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) through its member church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), offered its services. In the midst of a conflict that has caused some to draw lines of distinction between religious groups, Jordan (where the official religion is Islam and the population is primarily Sunni) has chosen to work closely with Christian organizations, including the LWF, to deliver aid to incoming refugees from a primarily Muslim country.

The reason for this is simple: relationship. Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan, who serves as Bishop of the ELCJHL and President of the LWF, has strong relationships with Jordanian leaders. As these officials began looking into how to address the needs of incoming refugees, they welcomed input from Bishop Younan. As a leader within our global communion, Bishop Younan offered areas of expertise within the LWF to ensure that those gifts benefitted both the Syrian refugees and their host government.

Working together, the needs of vulnerable people who have no other access to daily bread are being met in ways that neither the LWF nor the Jordanian government could do alone. This effort is a strong expression of the ELCA’s commitment to global accompaniment. It is what we in the church are called to do and to be, to be present in relationship where we gain the opportunity to truly be neighbor at home and across the globe.

For more on the situation and to hear from Bishop Younan, see the ELCA News Release.

To learn more about the ELCA’s response, see the ELCA Disaster Response page Syria Conflict.
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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

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Yesterday afternoon Tropical Storm Isaac swept through Haiti’s southern peninsula, bringing with it heavy rains (over a foot in some areas) and hundred-plus mile per hour winds. It wreaked havoc on the nation as it still works to recover from the massive earthquake of 2010. The storm is also threatening to bring the same level of rain and wind to Cuba and southern Florida.

ELCA Disaster Response has been in contact with our companions in Haiti as they assess the situation and possible needs and responses. In Florida we have also been in contact with our Lutheran Disaster Response affiliates as they work to prepare for potential damages.

Please keep all those affected by this new tropical storm in prayer as they work to perpare and respond. As we learn more about the situation and possible responses we will keep you informed.

If you would like to support the response to these disasters, or those like them, you can donate to either Haiti Relief or U.S. Hurricanes. These gifts help us to respond immediately and effectively when disasters strike domestically and internationally.

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It’s hot. It’s late. It’s not even a work day. But the phone rings and it’s time to move.

That’s the storyline in a recent Lutheran World Federation post about the situation at the LWF-managed refugee camp Mbere in southeastern Mauritania. The backdrop is the current crisis going on in the Sahel region of Western Africa where drought is threatening to turn into famine as daily temperatures top off at over 120-degrees Fahrenheit and conflict continues to rage in Mali. It’s so hot generators can’t be turned on.

The phone call is to inform the staff that 25 families from Mali are expected to arrive at the camp in 5 hours. So even though its the start of the weekend the staff rallies together to get the tents set up, working with volunteers within the camp who offer to help. It’s a bit like organized chaos but when the families finally get there, they have tents and water is quickly on its way.

Reading through it seems miraculous that all of the pieces fit together so well right when they need to, to imagine the people who dedicate themselves to this work and those who volunteer to help. It is nothing short than the movement of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the highs and lows of life. To be able to name this as an example of how our church engages the world on behalf of the Gospel is also a humbling joy.

It is God’s work being done with our hands as even from the desert floor we can engage in making life anew.

Read about this day in the life in the LWF article: Tents Mushroom in the Mauritanian Desert.

Also, consider giving to ELCA Disaster Response for West Africa Sahel so that we can continue to meet the needs of those who thirst, hunger and seek shelter.

The Lutheran World Federation Kenya/Djibouti program update from July 2012 gives a good update of what has been going on in the last year since the drought in the Horn of Africa started leading to famine and migrating people, especially in Somalia. Give it a read to get a good update on the situation.

Here is what stuck out to me:

• The introducation gives a good reminder that each refugee is an individual who prior to disaster had a life and livelihood that would be considered normal in their context. The move to refugee was not an easy or expected one. It drove home for me that in each disaster their is both the objective circumstances of what happened as well as the very real and unique subjective story of each individual affected.
• The background on what is going on in Kenya at large was a reminder that disasters do not happen in vaccuums. Life, both the positive and the negative, continues on and this continuation affects the response to the disaster. Also, it was a reminder that disasters don’t awknowledge the boundaries between peoples and countries that we create. So in our response there will always be a great need for communication, trust and accountability between varied partners.
• The overview of Dadaab highlighted the importance of safety in the disaster response and how much effort can at times go into creating a place of peace and security in the midst of chaos. This work has been done in a very creative and effective way in Dadaab through their Community Peace and Secuirty Teams (sometimes labeled Community Peace Protection Teams or CPPT). These teams are made up of refugees living within the camps and are the first line of response to community violence and disputes. This buffering allows for issues to be handled mostly by people speaking the same language, coming from the same cultural background and current life experience. Seeing the need for basic security and peace before humanitarian aid can be properly delivered the ELCA, through its Disaster Response program strong supports this valuable work.

Overall the update gives a good overview of the situation and highlighting how the response of gracious donors the globe over has made a difference and why the need is still their for that response to continue.

Read the entire update: LWF Kenya/Djibouti Program Update.

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

The rains that struck northeastern Minnesota at the end of July are still having an effect on the surrounding communities. Below is an update on the situation of McGregor and Big Sandy Lake from Pr. Karen G. Bockelman, Disaster Coordination for the Northeastern Minnesota Synod (ELCA). It’s a good reminder that disaster response is a marathon not a sprint and that need will continue long after the initial impact of the rains.

REPORT: Big Sandy Lake, north of McGregor, is within the Mississippi River watershed and was very heavily hit by the rains/flooding in June. It took the Mississippi River some time to crest, resulting in weeks of standing water. Only now (a month later) is it safe to begin clean up in the McGregor area. It has taken this long for the water to go down. The presence of E. coli in the water (now tested safe) as well as major fish and snail kills have contributed to the delay. All but a couple small sections of road are now passable. However, the sheriff warns that any more significant rainfall will cause the lake to rise again and might lead to still more delay.

Aitkin County officials are preparing to start the clean up process on Monday, July 23. Grace Lutheran Church, which has been serving as an information site and supply depot, will be the staging area for volunteers.

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Regarding this work at Grace Lutheran Church, I have received a few email updates and pictures from a couple who have been working with the church in this response, which I include below. Their testimony is a great example of how we can accomplish more when we work together as the body of Christ.

“I am a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in McGregor, MN. My husband and I are volunteers assisting at Grace Lutheran [in McGregor, MN] in their mission to aid in flood relief services. The need for this service is evident in the numbers of people who continue to visit Grace Church’s relief services area. Grace Lutheran is a beautiful church with amenities well-suited to this effort and it’s congregation is a community-minded resource for our area. Grace Lutheran and Holy Family participate in and enjoy women’s functions together as well. Grace Lutheran truly “lives” its mission statement.”

A flooded cabin in Big Sandy Lake. Credit: Grace Lutheran Church/McGregor, MN.	Another flooded cabin in Big Sandy Lake. Credit: Grace Lutheran Church/McGregor, MN.
Flooded home on Long Pointe Rd on Big Sandy Lake. Credit: Shirley Scollard.	Tethered propane tank to prevent it causing damage. Credit: Shirley Scollard.