Walter Lewis barely missed one great flood in Boone, North Carolina. That was 85 years ago—about five years before he was born. He did not escape a second great storm, Hurricane Helene, which hit late last year. More than eight decades ago, the 1940 flood triggered more than 2,000 landslides and caused 16 deaths. It’s…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Hope on the Other Side of the Storms
New Testament Baptist Church of Philipsburg, St. Maarten, is one of 52 churches Samaritan’s Purse helped rebuild after Hurricane Irma’s Category-5 winds ripped through the island on September 6, 2017. The church lost the roof to their sanctuary in the storm, but this congregation of roughly 100 people celebrated the completion of repairs with three…
Responding to Oklahoma City Tornadoes
A powerful storm spawning multiple strong tornadoes barreled through Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Sunday, Nov. 3, damaging or destroying at least 300 homes. The twisters toppled power lines and trees as it carved a destructive path through residential areas. VOLUNTEER IN OKLAHOMA Samaritan’s Purse deployed a Disaster Relief Unit—a tractor-trailer filled with relief supplies and…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Extending Disaster and Trauma Training to Dominica
Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Dominica on September 18, 2017. The Category 5 storm directly affected 90 percent of the population, causing $1.37 billion in damages. The island is not only vulnerable to hurricanes, but also tropical storms, landslides, floods, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Samaritan’s Purse surveyed church leaders in Dominica in 2018 and…
Our Ministry
Mid-Year Report
Mid-Year Impact Report July 2021 Thank You COVID-19 U.S. Disaster Relief Tigray Conflict Response Bahamas Global Work Thank You Following the example set by the Good Samaritan, Samaritan's Purse provides help to people who are suffering and living in desperate circumstances. We seek them out in communities torn apart by tornadoes, on difficult migrant trails snaking…
Samaritan’s Purse Continues to Help Hurricane Survivors in Florida
Samaritan’s Purse deployed staff, equipment, and an army of volunteers to heavily damaged areas of southwest Florida immediately after Hurricane Ian slammed ashore as a Category 4 storm in late September. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed by powerful wind, storm surge, and rain. It was among the most powerful storms ever to strike…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Responding in Charlotte County After Hurricane Milton’s Rumble Through Florida
Milton unleashed torrential rain and ferocious winds across Florida after making landfall Wednesday evening, Oct. 9, near Siesta Key, south of Sarasota. The deadly and powerful storm, which entered the state as a Category 3 hurricane and left as a Category 1 on Thursday morning, spawned tornadoes and caused severe flooding. The Tampa area, spared…
Edward Graham Travels to Hurricane-Devastated Florida Communities
Edward Graham visited southwest Florida Tuesday where Samaritan’s Purse volunteers are working in flooded and wind-damaged communities ripped apart last week by Hurricane Ian. The powerful and deadly Category 4 storm claimed more than 100 lives and damaged thousands of structures, including hundreds of homes, on its destructive path traveling up the coast and across…
Our Ministry
Samaritan’s Purse Sends Two Disaster Response Teams to Aid Hurricane Florence Victims (Press Release)
NC-Based Organization Sending Volunteers and Tractor-Trailers Stocked with Tools and Supplies BOONE, N.C., Sept. 15, 2018—As Hurricane Florence continues to wreak havoc, Samaritan’s Purse is sending two Disaster Relief Units and ten pieces of support equipment to assess damage in the hardest-hit areas of the Carolina coastline. Two more relief units are standing by. Stocked…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Replaces Eleven More Vehicles After Hurricane Helene
Samaritan’s Purse continues to support families in North Carolina and Tennessee still reeling after Hurricane Helene, the storm that devastated the region in late September 2024. “These vehicles are provided by God’s people in Jesus’ Name,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham during a dedication of eleven vehicles to survivors of the hurricane. Harry Varney…
