By Rick Burnette

Dumping more than two feet of rain over much of the western Florida Panhandle on September 16, Hurricane Sally, a Category 2 storm, left extensive damage across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties.

A CBF Disaster Response survey of storm impacts is currently focused on communities along Garcon Point in Santa Rosa County with initial recovery efforts planned for the Dickerson City neighborhood where dozens of properties were damaged, including households with inadequate insurance.

Kenny Phillips, CBF Florida Volunteer Disaster Response Coordinator, will be organizing local recovery efforts, including cleanup and repairs. A resident of neighboring Ft. Walton, Phillips also serves on the ministry team of Seeker Fellowship, a CBF congregation.

Already engaged in Hurricane Laura response in Lake Charles, Louisiana, CBF is requesting its network to pray and contribute towards needs stretching along the Gulf Coast.

Volunteers are also invited to register to assist with recovery efforts in the Florida Panhandle and Louisiana. Due to COVID-19 concerns, response will be conducted according to the guidelines found HERE.

Additionally, with many of the affected Panhandle properties having suffered significant water damage, CBF Disaster Response is inviting congregations and nearby state CBF organizations to assemble and deliver Cleanup Bucket Kits to assist with recovery needs.

Prayer Requests for the initial Hurricane Sally response:

• Pray for families who have suffered significant property damage from the storm, especially those with limited resources and insurance.
• Pray for Kenny Phillips, the CBF Florida Volunteer Disaster Response Coordinator, as he follows up with households needing recovery assistance.
• Pray that volunteers teams will respond safely, particularly during this time of COVID-19.

During this time of limited disaster response, we would also like to recommend these alternative ways of supporting CBF Disaster Response efforts:

• Continue to pray for ongoing recovery needs in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Louisiana and Florida
• As we continue to navigate the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, we encourage financial contributions for these efforts and future events.

Donations in support of ongoing hurricane recovery efforts can be made here.

CBF Disaster Response does not accept food, water or material donations.
If you prefer, you may also give by mailing a check payable to “CBF” to:

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
PO Box 102972
Atlanta, GA 30368-2972
*be sure to include “Hurricane Response” in the memo line

For more information about overall CBF Domestic Disaster Response activities, contact rburnette@cbf.net.