It was one week ago that Hurricane Sally unleashed its fury on the western Florida panhandle and Alabama coastline!
Until last week, it had been more than a decade and a half since a hurricane hit this section of the Gulf Coast. The last hurricane to make its presence known there was Hurricane Ivan in 2004. And as if by some bizarre twist of fate, sixteen years later, Hurricane Sally made landfall at the very same place (Gulf Shores, Alabama) on the very same date (September 16). The chances of something like that occurring are mind-boggling!
We are so appreciative of those who have prayed steadfastly for our Alliance Southern District churches and the families that were impacted by Hurricane Sally. One week later, the process of “digging out” remains ongoing and likely will continue for some time to come. But progress is being made toward a return to a sense of “normalcy.”
Power has been restored in the major population areas, but many in the outlying areas remain without. Likewise, cell phone service and the internet are gradually coming back online.
With restored communication, we are finally able to give a more definitive update of the situation on the ground as it relates to our Southern District churches.
Eternal Life Church in Lillian, Alabama, (Pastor Calvin and Sharon Bartl) was spared, suffering the least amount of damage. As previously reported, a HUGE tree fell landing squarely between the church building and the house that used to be the church’s parsonage. There are only feet between the two buildings, but almost miraculously neither building was severely damaged. It did tear the meter box off the side of the house, causing some electrical issues. But other than a LOT of debris cleanup and tree removal, this church was fortunate.
Pastor Calvin and Sharon Bartl, unfortunately, did experience some damage to their home and property. Most of the shingles were blown off from one side of their house, and their outlying farm buildings and property sustained damages as well. But the insurance adjuster has already made a settlement and they have begun the work toward repair and restoration.
Ensley Alliance Church in Pensacola, Florida, (Pastor Fred and Carol King) sustained some wind and water damage to their church building. The pastor’s study, foyer, and sanctuary were all flooded. Additionally, there was exterior roof damage and some ceiling damage to the inside of the sanctuary and offices. The water has now been suctioned up and they are running the AC and fans to dry everything out. An insurance adjuster has not yet been on site to estimate the total cost of damages.
Genesis Church in Gulf Shores, Alabama, (Pastor Shawn and Rebekah Kennedy) was hit the hardest. Due to the size of their structure and its proximity to the shoreline, it appears that the structural integrity of the Genesis Church building may have been compromised. The direct blunt force of the hurricane’s wind made the building move and expand from within, causing the seals on the plate glass windows which cover much of the front of the building to rupture. More than 100 gallons of water were removed from inside the church building. Additionally, stress cracks have been discovered in the cement walls, and damages were sustained on the backside of the church building. It appears, also, that the roof suffered a fair amount of damage.
The good news is that Genesis Church DID carry hurricane insurance. The bad news is that their deductible is $80,000. A structural engineer has already examined the building, but the insurance adjuster(s) have yet to survey the building’s damages. Pray that they will be fair and generous.
Despite the behemoth task of their own property cleanup, Genesis Church immediately sprung into action to be the hands and feet of Jesus in meeting the needs of their community! Within the past week, Genesis Church has:
- distributed 100,000+ bags of ice to residents in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
- provided over 1,000 meals to hundreds of families
- opened their church building to house work crews providing disaster relief assistance
- sent crews out to do debris clean-up and tree removal to countless numbers of homes
- tarped damaged roofs
- repaired fences
. . . only to name a few of the relief effort initiatives that have been undertaken.
We are grateful to CAMA Services, the relief arm of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, for providing $5,000 of immediate financial assistance to aid Genesis Church and the Southern District in its disaster relief efforts.
Grace and Peace,
—Phil