As Pastor Nolan Nanton prepared to lead a prayer meeting in January at the New Testament Baptist Church on the island of St. Martin, he stopped and gazed upward. It was a scene he knew all too well—the church sanctuary without a roof. It had been shredded four months earlier when Hurricane Irma pummeled the…
50 Years of Ministry
Samaritan’s Purse Rushes Relief After Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria
As southeast Texas communities braced or evacuated in advance of Hurricane Harvey’s lashing winds, devastating rain, and storm surge, Samaritan’s Purse positioned for a massive response in August 2017. The Category 4 storm killed more than 100 residents of Texas, battered coastal communities, and flooded Houston and its surrounding communities with more than 50 inches…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Helping Restore Puerto Rico One Year After Maria
As Hurricane Maria roared ashore at 6:15 a.m. last September 20, pummeling the municipality of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, Raul Diaz huddled inside his parent’s house. He watched in horror as Maria’s powerful winds ripped the roof off of his own nearby home. The storm then also took with it his balcony and half of the…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Restoring ‘Home Sweet Home’ in the Bahamas
Hurricane Dorian hovered over the northern Bahamas in September 2019 and destroyed the very fabric of life. Homes and their precious contents were lost in the storm—the remnants scattered in debris across the islands. “You have to have a home—that’s the foundation of family,” said Robinson Weatherford, pastor of International Gospel Mission in Marsh Harbour,…
Construction Projects
Home Again
A Samaritan's Purse rebuild project in Louisiana helps the Johnsons return… Home Again The last day Linton Johnson, 84, walked through his old home on Adams St., he shone a heavy flashlight into every room and corner—it helped him to remember. He recalled the house's history in a distinct accent, one formed from many decades spent…
Our Ministry
Hurricane Dorian Relief
Help Provide Relief After Hurricane Dorian Give × Hurricane Relief Hurricane Relief - 013779 $ Give Volunteer Facebook Twitter email Response in Bahamas Transitions to Repairs, Trauma Support, Disaster Response Training Facebook Twitter email Samaritan’s Purse is launching several additional projects in the Bahamas to help families rebound from Hurricane Dorian. We also continue to…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Finding Hope in a Heartbeat
Bethy and her husband Gustavo have been living on the streets of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, for weeks. Hurricane Eta’s heavy rains flooded their home, forcing them to seek temporary refuge elsewhere. “It was so scary,” Gustavo said. “We had to set an alarm every 25 minutes to wake up and see what the water…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Volunteer Teams Help the Hurting as Louisiana Starts Long Recovery
On Oct. 9, Hurricane Delta inundated the Gulf Coast—bringing high winds approaching 100 mph and heavy rains up to 17 inches in some places. The powerful storm ripped up a path nearly identical to that of Hurricane Laura, an even more powerful Category 4 storm that hit just six weeks earlier. In the wake of…
Volunteers in Georgia Described as a ‘Yard Full of Angels’
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR OUR HURRICANE RESPONSES Families in Albany, Georgia, are no strangers to natural disasters. Samaritan’s Purse first responded in the southern Georgia town after a string of severe storms and a tornado devastated the community in January 2017. Now, this month, less than two years later, Hurricane Michael decimated Albany, leaving…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Continues Work in the Devastated Bahamas
Roland counted 15 dead bodies floating in the water the day after Hurricane Dorian finally released the Abaco Islands from its deadly grip. The storm completely flattened every home in Roland’s neighborhood. “Nothing is here. I have no place to live. I have no job,” he said. The restaurant where Roland worked is gone. The…
