July 13, 2007
Sisters and brothers in Christ,
The full extent of the need is now emerging after flood waters,
contaminated with 45,000 gallons of oil, left a messy situation in
several small cities and widespread rural areas in southeastern Kansas
and northeastern Oklahoma.
Bud Harper, Lutheran Disaster Response coordinator with Lutheran Family
and Children’s Services of Missouri, continues to assess the extent of
the flooding and the developing long-term needs of those in the area.
He has connected with local emergency management officials, clergy and
members of local congregations, and several disaster response partner
organizations.
Flood waters affected the communities of Coffeyville and Independence
in Kansas, South Coffeyville, Miami, and Bartlesville in Oklahoma, and
the surrounding rural areas. A large oil spill at a refinery outside of
Coffeyville has exacerbated the damages and will make clean-up efforts
more difficult. As is the unfortunate reality in many disasters, those
areas that have experienced the most widespread damage are low-income
areas.
Harper reports that “the long-term effects of this flood will equal
that of a major hurricane” and that “the damage will continue to
grow to structures, personal property, contents, and individual
finances.”
A team of Lutheran Disaster Response coordinators and other staff from
Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas met earlier this week in
conference call to strategize about the ongoing response to what has
been an eventful season for disasters across the region. Even as this
new response begins, recovery continues in the community of Greensburg,
Kansas after a tornado destroyed much of the town, and other communities
in the region continue to experience cycles of flash flooding.
Lutheran Disaster Response will continue to assess and respond to the
ongoing needs of these affected areas. In particular, the response to
these floods will likely focus in the areas of case management and
spiritual care for those whose lives have been impacted. Due to the
complication of oil mixed into the flood waters, volunteers may not be
needed in this response for quite some time if at all.
Anyone interested in financially supporting this response should be
sure to include the words “Central Plains flooding” on the memo line
of their check. Instructions for giving by mail, phone, or on the Web
are available at www.ldr.org/donate.
In service,
Heather L. Feltman
Executive Director, Lutheran Disaster Response
Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
Lutheran Disaster Response
Bringing Help and Hope...
Phone: 773-380-2748
Fax: 773-380-2493
Visit us on the Web at www.ldr.org
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