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…
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,…
Home Again
Hurricane Dorian Relief
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…
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…
Service Is a Calling for Volunteers in Hurricane-Devastated Florida
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER Hurricane Michael pummeled the Florida Panhandle two months ago today, yet in Panama City and other areas the effects of the storm are still being felt. Hundreds of people are living in tents. Large trees still lay on punctured roofs, allowing rain to pour into homes. A major employer has announced…
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…
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…
Widows Give Thanks for Help with Hurricane Cleanup
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR OUR HURRICANE FLORENCE RESPONSE Mary Kerns wasn’t taking any chances. The last time, almost 20 years ago, a major hurricane threatened her hometown, she ended up being rescued out of waist-deep water in her home. So, a week ago, when Hurricane Florence roared into Jacksonville, Mary packed some clothes and…