Assessing and responding after Florence

People in The Episcopal Church in South Carolina continue to watch, pray and respond this week as flooding and the aftermath of Hurricane Florence are felt in the Carolinas.

Bishop Skip Adams and diocesan staff members are continuing to coordinate with Episcopal Relief & Development, and check in regularly with churches in the areas most affected by the storm. 

Damage assessments are ongoing, but so far, reports from church buildings included a few leaks, downed limbs and other minor to moderate problems. No services were reported as being canceled for September 23 as of Tuesday.

But while most of our diocese saw the storm come and go quickly, Florence's destruction is widespread, and continues to slowly unfold as rivers rise. 

At St. Catherine's, Florence, Warden Matt Robertson reported that many roads are closed due to flooding. He and church leaders are hearing reports of people whose homes are flooded out and looking at how they can assist.

In Cheraw, an area experiencing heavy flooding, Phil Powell of the Cheraw Episcopal Worship Group said the community is watching the Great Pee Dee after flooding left about half the streets impassible on Monday, well before the predicted crest.

In Conway, where floodwaters are continuing to rise, the Rev. Rob Donehue of St. Anne's said this morning that he is hopeful that roads in and out of the town will remain open. He has been contacting the local outreach ministries that St. Anne's supports, and is helping get information to his parishioners about how they can volunteer there.

St. Anne's normally holds Sunday services on the Coastal Carolina University's Lackey Chapel, but with the chapel closed along with the school during Florence, about 30 from St. Anne's gathered at the Donehues' home Sunday for Holy Eucharist. "It was the most people we've ver had in our house," he said. "Hopefully we will not have to do it again anytime soon."

Fr. Donehue is continuing to offer livestreamed daily Morning Prayer at 8:30 am and Evening Prayer at 6:30 pm on his Facebook page. 

St. Stephen's, North Myrtle Beach had closed during the storm, but at the last minute decide to have a Sunday service so about 14 people who had made it back home could gather. The Rev. Cn. Dr. Wilmot Merchant of St. Stephen's said the church is looking at stepping up its weekly efforts with a local feeding program in nearby Loris, another community that is threatened by flooding.

Church of the Messiah, Myrtle Beach, is expecting to return to its worship space at St. Philip Lutheran this Sunday after canceling last week. Their priest-in-charge, the Rev. Dr. Randy Ferebee, was encouraging members in Myrtle Beach to bring canned food for the local Helping Hands feeding program, as well as urging donations for Episcopal Relief & Development.

The Rev. Jason Roberson of Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island, said their church also decided on Sunday to have a special Eucharist with those who had either stayed or made it home. The church plans a campuswide work day Wednesday to clean up debris from the storm. 

A remarkable story from Florence was the hospitality of Kanuga, the Episcopal conference center in Hendersonville, NC, which housed 250+ people (and 17 pets) from Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, who evacuated from Charleston on September 11. They returned to Bishop Gadsden on Monday and were expecting to be back on a normal schedule today (Tuesday). Read about the evacuation here. You can see photos of some of the special activities and worship they experienced at "Camp BG at Kanuga" on their Facebook page.
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Best ways to help

If you are not in an affected area, and want to respond to our neighbors in North and South Carolina who are coping with this disaster, the best way to offer help now is through the Hurricane Relief Fund: Make a donation here. (If you'd like to understand why this is important, please read this letter from Bishop Adams and the other bishops of the Carolinas.) 

If you wish to serve as a volunteer, you can sign up now at the Ready to Serve page. This form lets Episcopal Relief & Development keep track of offers to help and direct efforts where they're most needed.

Post-storm counseling available

Cigna insurance, which provides coverage through the Episcopal Medical Trust for church employees and families in our diocese, has reached out after Hurricane Florence with hepful information and resources, including counseling and mental health support. Please contact Lauren Kinard in the Diocesan Office if you have questions about accessing these benefits.

In addition, for all residents in areas affected by Florence, Cigna is providing access to its 24/7 telephone help line. Phone lines are staffed with qualified clinicians who are available to speak with people about how to cope with anxiety, stress or other issues. People who do not have health benefits or employee assistance program benefits with Cigna can call 1-866-912-1687 toll-free.