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World Renew DRS Active in Late-Spring Storm Response

June 24, 2014

After heavy storms, tornadoes, and flooding recently hit several areas of the U.S., World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) began deploying volunteers to address early-response needs among those who were most affected.

The week of severe weather included rare twin EF4 tornadoes in Pilger, Neb., where two people died, 40-50 homes were damaged or destroyed among the town’s 350 residents, and a federal disaster was declared.

Destructive weather also affected towns and cities to the north, causing damage and flooding to land and homes in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Many storms occurred as the Christian Reformed Church Synod 2014 and the Reformed Church in America General Synod 2012 were taking place in Pella, Iowa, in the south central part of Iowa.

The bad weather was mentioned frequently, prayers were offered and it was made clear that the CRC and RCA work together in disaster response and relief as part of what is called the Reformed Collaborative through World Renew.

World Renew DRS Regional Managers Mark and Carol Martin have been in the hard-hit Pilger area to provide early-response coordination with local officials and other volunteer organizations that are reacting to the disaster.

The tornadoes, said Mark Martin, were on the ground for 30 miles, from Norfolk, Neb. to about Wakefield. “Several towns were affected, but Pilger is the worst hit.”

The Martins also mentioned that the tornadoes had a tremendous impact on agriculture in the area, both in loss of hundreds of head of cattle, horses, and other farm animals as well as in crop loss.

“The fields are littered with debris that must be picked up soon or the harvest will be severely impacted this fall,” Carol Martin said.

Meanwhile, Regional Managers Rich and Pat Grasman were in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota in response to flooding along the Rock River.

Besides providing early-response coordination with local officials and other volunteer organizations, the couple made initial contacts with Christian Reformed and Reformed Church in America congregations.

To the south, some locations in the Florida panhandle received more than a foot of rain after getting over two feet of rain in late April and early May.

The deluge put dozens of homes underwater again, forcing evacuations from low-lying areas. World Renew DRS has a Rapid Response Team in the area to help homeowners remove soaked belongings, remediate mold, and make basic repairs.

World Renew asks for prayers and assistance in helping it respond to these storms.