A violent storm system swept through the Southeast this week, spawning devastating tornadoes that ripped through neighborhoods, causing massive damage in five states. Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham asked for prayer in the wake of the disaster as teams deployed to the area to assess needs and establish a response. “Please join me in praying…
Crisis & Disaster Response
‘By God’s Grace I’m Alive’
She clutched the decorative glass tightly against her chest, closed her eyes, and stood still and silent. Then, the tears came. “Oh, my goodness. This means the world to me. You don’t know what you’ve done for me today,” said Sherry Justice. A Samaritan’s Purse team found the drinkware set that belonged to Sherry’s grandmother…
God Is Changing Lives as Volunteers Serve Michigan Families
Jessica Vivanco was inside her Three Rivers, Michigan, home when the sirens sounded and the sky darkened. The wind turned violent, slamming branches into windows and doors, shattering glass. It was over within minutes and left fallen trees and debris in its wake. “We’ve had close calls for years, but nothing like this,” Jessica said.…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Extends Hope to Middle Tennessee Families This Christmas
A heartbreaking scene unfolded on Dec. 9 when twisters wreaked havoc in Middle Tennessee communities and claimed the lives of six people, including two young children. Scattered among the pieces of splintered homes were colorful Christmas decorations, which stood in stark contrast to the joy that the Christmas season usually brings. “It’s one of the…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Responds to Colorado Floods
A series of storms coming off the Pacific rolled through Colorado over the past several days, dumping a historic amount of rainfall in the southwest corner of the state. The rains prompted hundreds of evacuations as rivers overflowed their banks and levees were breached. Scores of homes flooded. These downpours came as the remnants of…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Continues Work in Western North Carolina
Tropical Storm Fred dumped nearly a foot of rain in some areas of western North Carolina, washing out bridges and roads and destroying hundreds of homes. Close to 100 people had to be rescued, and six people died. The catastrophic flooding also caused more than 50,000 power outages. Samaritan’s Purse has deployed to Haywood County…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Responds to Storms in Marked Tree, Arkansas
The Marked Tree community recently sustained substantial tree and debris damage, and many are still without power with temperatures expected to reach triple digits. Samaritan’s Purse has deployed a disaster relief unit—a tractor-trailer filled with relief equipment and supplies—and will field volunteer teams to help homeowners with cutting fallen trees and debris removal. First Baptist…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Rushing to Greenfield, Iowa, After Deadly Tornado
Southwestern Iowa is reeling after a tornado leveled rural communities and killed multiple people on May 21. The twister tore through homes and businesses, shredded trees, smashed cars, and toppled power lines. Thousands across the state are without power. This devastating tornado is another in a long line of deadly and destructive storms to hit…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Volunteers at Work in Storm-Torn Southeast
Samaritan’s Purse teams are on the ground in Selma, Alabama, and Griffin, Georgia, after a violent and deadly storm system swept across the Southeast on Thursday night, Jan. 12. Two Disaster Relief Units—tractor trailers stocked with equipment and supplies—are in position in the two locations. Volunteers started work in both Alabama and Georgia on Sunday,…
Flood Relief Wraps Up in the Northeast
In early July, historic rainfall in the Northeast prompted severe flooding that devastated homeowners. Samaritan’s Purse responded in the communities of Highland Falls, New York, and Barre, Vermont, and their surrounding areas to provide much-needed relief. Over the past weeks, dedicated volunteers have worked to mud out homes as well as remove soaked drywall and…
