Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has reached out to presbyteries in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana to offer assistance following a round of winter storms that has left many people without heat and safe drinking water.

“Literally, the entire Synod of the Sun [the Presbyterian Church (USA) synod covering the four states] has been impacted,” so nearly a dozen presbyteries, said the Rev James Kirk, Associate for National Disaster Response for PDA.

While PDA is still waiting to hear back from some presbyteries, the ministry anticipates multiple church damage grants and multiple initial assistance grant requests.

“PDA is reaching out and working with the presbyteries as they assess the extent of the damage,” said Kirk. “The event is still unfolding,” and both travel and communication have been hampered by the weather.

Texas has been particularly hard hit by the effects of an arctic blast that left millions under boil-water advisories after back-to-back storms dropped temperatures to record lows, leading to power outages and frozen pipes.

“We have heard that multiple churches have already experienced significant water damage and there are significant immediate unmet needs,” he said.

The storm also is impacting people on a personal level. “Many people don’t want to leave their home, even though they don’t have power and heat, because they’re afraid that if they do, they’ll come home to a flooded house,” Kirk said. “So they’re trying to stick close to home to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

The public can help by donating to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which can put the money toward crucial needs on the local level such as warm clothes, blankets, food and water.

PDA is one of the Compassion, Peace and Justice ministries of the PC(USA)’s Presbyterian Mission Agency.

(Darla Carter, Presbyterian News Service)

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