Under a cloudless blue sky in Soso, Mississippi, Samaritan’s Purse volunteer Randy Graves crawled over and under downed pine trees searching for valuables. At the request of the homeowners, Graves and other volunteers carefully sorted through strewn belongings. They were on the hunt for photo albums, Bibles, jewelry, and a valuable collection of coins. They…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Completes Work in Tornado-Devastated Texas
Samaritan’s Purse volunteer teams have completed work in Onalaska, Texas, where homeowners were recovering after an EF3 tornado packing 140 mile per hour winds tore through several neighborhoods in the late afternoon of April 22. More than 370 volunteers joined our efforts to help these hurting homeowners in Jesus’ Name by clearing fallen trees and…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Celebrating God’s Work Through Our Volunteers in Tennessee
About the time the tornado warning sounded on her phone, Mallary Netterville heard the trees snapping in her yard. The only other warning would be the flickering lights. “The lights flickered. Then they flickered again. Then the power went out,” Mallary said. “Then it hit.” Part of a tree punched a hole in the roof…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Franklin Graham Travels to Chattanooga to See Tornado Recovery Efforts
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham traveled to hard-hit Chattanooga, Tennessee, today to encourage homeowners in the aftermath of recent tornadoes that battered communities in 10 states across the South. “It looks like a bomb went off. It’s a mess here,” Graham said. “But Samaritan’s Purse has an army of volunteers working in these communities. We…
Samaritan’s Purse Responding to Flooding in Michigan
Samaritan’s Purse has volunteers and staff working on the ground in central Michigan, in Midland County, where heavy rains and the failure of two dams caused a 500-year flood event. One of our Disaster Relief Units—a tractor trailer loaded with relief supplies and equipment—has been deployed and is stationed at our church base, Calvary Baptist…
Samaritan’s Purse Completes Work in Bowie, Texas
An EF-1 tornado sliced through the town of Bowie, Texas, on Friday, May 22, damaging dozens of homes. Soon after, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers were busy clearing yards and homes of trees and debris and placing tarps on storm-damaged roofs. We assisted homeowners throughout Montague County, working in Jesus’ Name to help hurting people. We completed…
Michigan Is Blessed by the Hard Work of Our Volunteers
A day before the floodwaters arrived, James Mrdutt received a text from local authorities warning that the water was headed for his community in Midland, Michigan. Sure enough, the next evening, the water poured in and inundated neighborhoods with water, silt, and mud. The Mrdutts were among thousands of homeowners who experienced the devastation of…
Flood Relief Work Completed in Midland, Michigan
Over the weekend, our volunteer teams in Midland, Michigan, completed work on flooded homes in the area. Over the course of our relief work, nearly 1,500 volunteers joined our relief efforts and completed clean up and recovery on 315 homes. We praise God for at least 49 salvations, many seeds planted, and many people blessed…
50 Years of Ministry
Rebuilding in Hooper Bay
The 2006 fire that blazed through most of Hooper Bay, Alaska, started in a school and then burned down homes and buildings as wind swept the flames across the community. Dozens of families were left homeless, and the harsh Alaska winter was only weeks away. “We only had two months left in the year that…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Tornado Survivors Grateful for God’s Protection
Coella and Manley Tate hid in the bathtub as a tornado hit their Bertie County home of more than 20 years. They prayed for God’s protection and said ‘I love you’ for what they believed would be the last time. The EF-3 tornado ravaged their home at 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 4. Though a similar…
