Louisiana post-Ida
The best way right now to help Louisiana recover from Hurricane Ida's devastation is to follow the traditional Wesleyan rule of "do no harm," says its United Methodist bishop.
"Don't self-deploy," Louisiana Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey pleads in a three-minute video posted Aug. 31 on the conference's Facebook page.
Not only are many areas still inaccessible because of hurricane damage, conference leaders don't want volunteers to use up gasoline, water, food, shelter, and other resources needed by first responders, said Bishop Harvey in the video created by conference communicator Todd Rossnagel.
Even though United Methodists are eager to pitch in physically to start recovery efforts, the best way to support the storm-ravaged state in the immediate aftermath is to pray and give, Bishop Harvey stressed.
"Every time you see one of those clips of the devastation, stop and pray," the bishop said in the video.
Bishop Harvey said she and conference leaders had already received messages of support "literally from around the world."
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the relief and development arm of The United Methodist Church, said it has award an initial "solidarity" disaster recovery grant – typically $10,000 – to the Louisiana Conference to support emergency relief efforts.
"Once the situation evolves, early response teams will be invited by the conference to help with needs such as debris removal and the tarping of roofs," said a post on UMCOR's Facebook page.
United Methodists can contribute to UMCOR's work by giving to U.S. Disaster Response.
As of Sept. 1, the Weather Channel cited frightening statistics about Hurricane Ida's impact on Louisiana that underscored Bishop Harvey's report:
- Sustained winds at landfall: 150 mph, making Ida a Category 4 storm;
- Highest wind gust: 172 mph.
- Miles of electric transmission lines down: 2,000, leaving more than 1 million Louisianians without power, likely for a month or more in brutal triple-digit heat.
- People without water service: 441,000
- People under boil-water advisories: 319,000
In addition, Florida meteorologist Athena Masson told EarthSky in an article from The Conversation that Hurricane Ida had all three ingredients of a monster storm:
"Three key ingredients are needed for a hurricane to form: warm sea surface water that’s at least about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 C), a thick layer of moisture extending from the sea surface to roughly 20,000 feet, and minimal vertical wind shear so the thunderstorm can grow vertically without interruption."
The day after Hurricane Ida came ashore at Grand Isle, La., conference leaders issued this report on Facebook:
“The full extent of the damage from Hurricane Ida has yet to be seen or fully assessed. Search and rescue missions are currently underway.
“Reports from our churches are slow to trickle in as communication in south Louisiana has been decimated. All of New Orleans and many areas in Baton Rouge are without power due to ‘catastrophic damage’ to Entergy's transmission system.' Adding to the frustration is a massive cellular outage across many of the networks.
“We apologize for the short message and wish we had the ability to communicate better. For now, we pray for those who are missing and their families.
“We give thanks for the first responders and those who are working so hard to restore power and communication channels.
“And finally — we thank God who remains with us and ahead of us in the days and weeks ahead.”
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.