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
Volunteers Recover Treasures For Homeowners After Fire
UPDATE (Aug. 29): Our Shasta County fire response concluded on Aug. 28. We praise God for 26 people who were saved during this deployment. We are thankful for all our local partners and for the 965 volunteers who served more than 240 homeowners. — The Carr fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in northern California,…
Crisis & Disaster Response
After Yutu’s Brutal Punch, Samaritan’s Purse Distributes Relief to Islanders
The Pacific island of Saipan has always been plagued by powerful storms but Typhoon Yutu packed more force than almost anyone expected. “It was like the end of the world for me and my family,” resident Marie Cris said of the late October typhoon. “The walls are concrete but you could feel the walls shake…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Volunteers Begin Helping California Homeowners After Devastating Fire
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER IN CALIFORNIA There wasn’t much time to flee Paradise as the Camp Fire roared across Butte County, California. Residents reported harrowing escapes with their shoes heating up under them as they abandoned cars stuck on melting tires. Before it was fully contained, the Camp Fire burned more than 14,000 homes and…
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,…
Our Ministry
Clean Water
Clean Water. Changed Lives. Water is necessary for life, and that’s why Samaritan’s Purse is working in communities around the world to provide hurting people with access to clean water in Jesus’ Name. Samaritan’s Purse works to bring clean water, sanitation supplies, and essential hygiene education to many thousands of people around the world. These water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects…
New Homes and Full Hearts
Two and a half years ago, Josh Jones sat on his couch unconcerned about the reports of an EF4 tornado making its way toward Mayfield, Kentucky. A lightning bolt suddenly struck just outside the window, jolting Josh off the couch and into his truck. This was no ordinary storm. “It was like something I had…
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…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Helping Heartland Communities Recover After Deadly Tornadoes
Rhett Salisbury pushed with all his strength against the bedroom door to protect his family as an EF3 tornado slammed into Minden, Iowa. He and his wife, Faith, and their three young kids ran for cover as debris whipped violently through their home. “I held onto my kids for dear life—they were screaming and crying.…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Volunteers Working in Texas After Imelda’s Deluge
“We bought this house last July,” homeowner Kandace Higginbotham explained as she looked around at the water damage to her residence. “Just long enough to make two or three growth marks [for her children] on the wall. This was our first family home.” Kandace and her family were home together when the remnants of Tropical…
