PHOTOS: Rapid Response Chaplains Deployed to Hurricane Hit Florida

by BGEA STAFF   |     |  

On Wednesday 10th October Hurricane Michael slammed into Florida.

The category 4 storm hit the state’s north-west coast at over 150mph, making it one of the most powerful to hit mainland USA. Entire towns have been flattened by the storm with storm surges reaching over 9ft in height.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is preparing and deploying it’s Rapid Response Team Chaplains to the area, to provide a ministry of presence to those in need.

Please stand with us in prayer, for those affected by the storm and for the Chaplains heading to the area.

On Wednesday, Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Florida Panhandle as the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. in over 25 years, and third strongest ever at 155 mph. Headed northeast, the weakened storm will continue to dump rain across the Carolinas before heading back out to sea on Friday. Billy Graham chaplains are preparing to deploy to the affected areas to offer emotional and spiritual care to devastated communities.
A resident sits among the wreckage in Mexico Beach, Florida, where the hurricane first hit land.
People pass by giant piles of destruction on a street framed by downed power lines in Mexico Beach. State agencies and utilities have reported there are more than 1.3 million people left without power from the storm.
A woman searches through the rubble for her friend, who stayed behind during the storm.
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” —Nahum 1:7
Residents remove belongings after trees fell on their home in Panama City, Florida. Michael’s winds were just shy of a Category 5 hurricane when the storm made landfall. Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott called it an “absolute monster.”
First responders have been going door-to-door to check on residents who stayed during Hurricane Michael. Six deaths have been attributed to the storm, and authorities expect the death toll to rise as search crews go through affected areas in the next few days.
“Pray for those who have lost everything to the water and wind of Michael,” Franklin Graham tweeted Thursday. Demolished homes, downed trees and significant flooding are all results of the storm. Even in the midst of disaster, you can have peace through a relationship with God.

How to pray

Unite with others in prayer as we cast out anxieties on the Lord and thank Him for His care over us (1Peter 5:10)

  • Ask God for peace and protection for those who were evacuated and those in harm’s way
  • Pray for God’s direction and safety for first responders, government leaders and disaster relief organisations
  • Invite God’s powerful presence to be with each individual as we walk through the next days