Hurricane Sally To Make Landfall Tonight

Dear Friend,

Hurricane Sally is bearing down on the Gulf Coast as we write this email. This slow-moving system is forecast to bring life-threatening storm surges and flash flooding to a region already impacted by Hurricane Laura. The governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have requested pre-landfall emergency federal assistance ahead of the storm and each has declared a State of Emergency (CNN).

Our disaster relief teams are watching weather pattern developments closely. We're in conversation with our partners, including the ELCA Southeastern Synod.

Our disaster response teams are on the ground in Louisiana currently, assisting homeowners impacted by Hurricane Laura. We are preparing for the possibility of setting up an additional camp for volunteer responders in Mississippi or Alabama, after Hurricane Sally moves through, if needed.

Your prayers and donations are critical during this time. We could not do the work we do without your generosity. Financial donations to Inspiritus now, or in the earliest days of a response, support us in deploying a team of staff and skilled volunteers to assess need and establish a response program on the ground as soon as it is safe to do so.

While we pray that such support is not necessary, Inspiritus early response teams are preparing to lead volunteers in debris removal, chain-sawing, roof tarping, and other supports to damaged homes and properties.

Gifts to the ELCA Southeastern Synod Disaster Response will be used to support disaster relief on the ground, as well. Whether in the immediate days following a disaster or years after its initial impact, the vital work of disaster ministry has been a priority for the Southeastern Synod for many years.

The partnership between the Southeastern Synod and Inspiritus leverages the strengths and resources each bring to the table for the benefit of individuals and communities in need of hope and healing in the wake of a disaster.

The Southeastern Synod has provided various shelter locations here for any individuals or families who are under evacuation orders by their state. Several ELCA congregations in Birmingham (AL), Jackson (MS), and Middle Tennessee are also welcoming evacuees on a limited basis.

We will continue to keep you informed on any plans for an organized disaster response as they develop. Our thoughts are with everyone in the path of this latest storm.

With Gratitude,

Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development
Inspiritus

HURRICANE SALLY AS IT HEADS TO US GULF COAST (CNN)

HURRICANE LAURA RESPONSE: DAY 4 ON THE GROUND

HURRICANE LAURA RESPONSE: DAY 4 ON THE GROUND

Today is Day 4 on the ground for our Inspiritus disaster relief team. Our volunteers have been working hard over the past weekend, serving homeowners impacted by Hurricane Laura in collaboration and partnership with the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod and Upbring (Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response).

This past weekend brought heavy rain, heat and high humidity to the area and the communities we're serving. That did not stop Rex Rothrock of the Rothrock Foundation from cooking daily meals for our response team.

WHO WE ARE HELPING:

Our teams have been busy tarping roofs and removing massive debris around homes. Special priority has been given to homeowners who are uninsured, disabled, and/or elderly in the Lake Charles area. Our Hurricane Laura response reach extends to homeowners between Orange County, TX, and the Calcasieu Parish, LA.

Now, on top of everything, Hurricane Sally is projected to hit the of coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as a Category 2 hurricane Tuesday morning, less than three weeks after Hurricane Laura caused widespread damage across Louisiana.

PICTURED: Hurricane Sally; Serious Threat of Storm Surge, Flooding Rain Headed For Gulf Coast on Tuesday.

Under the supervision of Sherry Buresh, our ground crews will continue to help Texas and Louisiana homeowners this week. We're in conversation now with the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA regarding potential needs of those in the path of Hurricane Sally, especially along the Mississippi and Alabama coastline.

We will continue to share updates from the ground as our teams assist Hurricane Laura survivors and prepare to assist those in the path of Hurricane Sally.

Please join us in prayer for the volunteers and local residents along the Gulf Coast, as they brace for for more dangerous weather this week.

-Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development
Inspiritus

Hurricane Season is Here!

Dear Friends,

An above normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is expected, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service. The outlook predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season, which runs through November 30.

We've already seen large storms threaten the Southeast as recently as last week, with Tropical Storm Hanna pounding the COVID-ravaged coast of Texas. This weekend, Florida has many a COVID weary soul watching potential Tropical Storm Isaias.

Thanks to ongoing support and funding from Lutheran Disaster Response, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA, we are currently staffing up in hard-hit areas like Cookeville, TN, a town that was devastated by the Nashville Tornado on March 3rd. We’re on the ground in Cookeville, actively supporting our neighbors and preparing to start the long term recovery process to help them rebuild. The need is extensive in Tennessee, as residents have suffered from tornado damages to their homes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With so many Southeastern states currently overwhelmed with hot spots of this deadly virus, additional storms could be devastating. Inspiritus is preparing to help, and we'd like you to join us.

In anticipation of these severe weather hurdles, we hope you will consider becoming a monthly donor of Inspiritus' disaster relief efforts. Please click here and select 'Monthly' under the 'Donation Frequency' header to join us.

YOUR MONTHLY DONATION WILL SUPPORT:

• Equipment for debris removal, chain sawing & tarping

• Construction supplies for home repairs

• Ongoing hunger relief through our food bank for residents in hard-hit areas

• Long term recovery planning with emergency officials

• PPE safety gear for our recovery & response teams

• Volunteer coordination support

Your much needed help will continue to ensure we have adequate PPE supplies for our teams on the ground, and appropriate response equipment and shelter for future storms. August is a busy month for us, as we prepare for this potentially extreme and dangerous weather, and launch our Cookeville Tornado long term recovery work in Tennessee.

Please stay safe during these unsettling times. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.

Kind Regards,

Virginia Spencer
Vice President of Development

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"Every disaster requires PPE. For COVID-19 that means masks and gloves. For tornadoes that means helmets, eye and ear protection, and chaps. I was totally impressed with the gear, the training provided before they put a chainsaw in my hands and the oversight they provided during my time on the job site. The ritual at the end of the day, but before dinner, involved thoroughly cleaning the equipment and readying it for the next day."

– CEO, John Moeller, CEO, Easter Tornado Clean-up, Chattanooga, TN.

Give Hope

Hurricane Dorian is being reported as one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever observed. It’s a catastrophic storm and expected to hit our coastal communities this week. Life-threatening storm surges could devastate homes still in desperate need of help. Homes like the one owned by Ethel, a disabled elderly woman living in Brunswick, GA. Inspiritus met Ethel last year, when our long-term disaster recovery teams were helping those in the area with home repairs. Ethel is an elderly, domestic violence survivor who was thrilled to move into her own home back in 2017.

“It was like God gave me a gift I was praying for...it was heaven,” says Ethel.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma descended upon her home and destroyed her roof. As a result, she was forced to live outside on to her porch. “I’ve been without water for almost a year. I was drinking off the roof with buckets on the side to take a bath and wash my dishes...” My lights got cut off too, and I knew I couldn’t afford to pay it, so I took that barrel there and that wood and chopped it up, and I cooked my food. I did it in order to survive.” says Ethel

Following Hurricane Irma, Ethel’s home quickly became infected with mold and mildew. Poor living-conditions made her sick with pneumonia, as well as, another mold-related lung infection.

“I’m not able to work, I can’t even go to the doctor. I got really sick, between the mildew in this house and the drinking the water I got...I had another bucket, a tin tub, to get water to drink, I know that made me sick, too, but I had to live. That was my life. I’m living the best way I can. God help me.” says Ethel.

Inspiritus repaired Ethel’s roof, but there’s still so much more to be done to make her home liveable. "If it wasn’t for Inspiritus, I would still be in this situation. ” says Ethel.

Ethel’s home may not be able to withstand more damage from another hurricane. Brunswick is located on a harbor of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 40 mi (60 km) north of Florida and 80 mi (130 km) south of South Carolina. This makes it right in Hurricane Dorian’s projected path. As of Labor Day, mandatory evacuations were put into effect for Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Inspiritus needs donations to help us respond to this latest disaster. Donate here to Inspiritus’ disaster recovery work today to provide support and give hope to these vulnerable communities desperately in need of our help. Select disaster response to direct your funds specifically to our disaster.

Our prayers are with Ethel and everyone in the path of Hurricane Dorian.