Episcopal Relief & Development Partners with Texas Dioceses on Flood Response
June 4, 2015
Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with the Episcopal dioceses of Texas and West Texas in response to severe flooding caused by weeks of heavy rain across the region. Church teams in both dioceses are providing pastoral care and conducting needs assessments in areas where people lost homes and belongings to the floods, and church facilities are acting as ministry bases for outreach efforts. Episcopal Relief & Development support will assist affected households with gas, groceries and repair supplies, as well as storage for salvaged belongings and temporary housing for evacuees.
“The dioceses of Texas and West Texas were able to convene teams quickly to identify community needs and see how churches can be of unique help,” said Abagail Nelson, Episcopal Relief & Development’s Senior Vice President for Programs. “Right now, response planning is focused on low-income households that are uninsured or underinsured, as well as people with disabilities who might need extra assistance as they recover from the storm. Church networks help ensure that vulnerable neighbors are included and cared for.”
The extensive flooding began and worsened over May 24-26, with some areas receiving up to 20 inches of rain. In Texas, 27 people died as a result of the storm, and 10 people were still reported to be missing as of May 31. Thousands of homes were destroyed or damaged, and roads and bridges have been washed out.
One of the most heavily impacted areas was along the Blanco river, which runs through the towns of Wimberley and San Marcos, about halfway between San Antonio and Austin in the Diocese of West Texas. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wimberley and St. Mark’s in San Marcos have mobilized Flood Response Committees to conduct needs assessments and distribute gift cards for gas, food and emergency supplies.
Wimberley is the town where eight people went missing after the river-front vacation home they were staying in was swept away. Five were members of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Corpus Christi.
In Houston, The Ven. Russ Oechsel, archdeacon for the Diocese of Texas, led the diocese’s Spiritual and Emotional Care team through the streets of the Meyerland neighborhood, where there was significant damage to homes. The group of trained lay and ordained volunteers distributed cold water and gift cards for repair supplies, and listened to residents’ storm experiences. They also offered information about how to connect to local and national disaster recovery resources and services.
Oechsel is also Texas’ Diocesan Disaster Coordinator and a member of Episcopal Relief & Development’s Partners in Response team, which accompanies churches in disaster-impacted communities as they discern their role in the recovery process. Oechsel and fellow Partners in Response member Deacon Elaine Clements, from the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, are assisting the dioceses of Texas and West Texas at this time.
“We are still very early in the disaster cycle, where folks are ripping out carpet and drywall or just trying to figure out what to do – depending if they own or rent their home, whether they had insurance or not, if they have somewhere close-by where they can stay while they sort things out,” Oechsel said. “Getting out into the neighborhood to provide pastoral care and gift cards for food and supplies also helps churches connect with people who may need help toward long-term recovery. We will start to know in the coming weeks where those longer-term needs are and how we can help.”
Elsewhere in the region, the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma is responding to two waves of severe storms on May 6 and May 10 that brought tornadoes and flooding to the area. In Texas, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Lindale (Diocese of Texas) is assisting in Van, 10 miles west, where a tornado and subsequent flood on May 10 destroyed a significant number of homes; Episcopal Relief & Development is working with the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas to develop a response plan. The organization has also been in contact with the Episcopal dioceses of Arkansas and Louisiana following the storms.
For more information about Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program, visit the organization’s website.
To enable Episcopal Relief & Development to respond to disasters in the United States, please donate to the US Disaster Response Fund.
Episcopal Relief & Development works with more than 3 million people in nearly 40 countries worldwide to overcome poverty, hunger and disease through multi-sector programs that utilize local resources and expertise. An independent 501(c)(3) organization, Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with Anglican Communion and ecumenical partners to help communities rebuild after disasters and develop long-term strategies to create a thriving future. In 2014-15, the organization joins Episcopalians and friends in celebrating 75 Years of Healing a Hurting World.
