Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast on Monday; but only now, more than 24 hours later it is becoming clear that this is the worst natural disaster to hit the United States. Mike Mann, Executive Presbyter of South Louisiana Presbytery, reports that upwards of 36 churches within that presbytery have been impacted by the storm. He fears some may have been completely destroyed.

The levees in New Orleans have been breached and the water is still rising. With the help of Kristina Peterson, a member of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT), the South Louisiana Presbytery will be setting up an office in Baton Rouge to begin organizing a coordinated recovery response. PDAT members George and Marian MacNeill will be on their way to Baton Rouge on Sunday to help field phone calls and manage disaster related communications. Dee La Rue will probably be traveling to Louisiana early in the week once the office is set up.

The damage within Mississippi Presbytery is overwhelming. Biloxi felt the full force of Katrina, which caused widespread destruction and left whole areas of the city destroyed. The Mayor of Biloxi is calling Katrina ‘our Tsunami’. PDAT members Alonza Washington and Bill Neely are on their way to meet with the leadership in the Presbytery about organizing a response with significant help from PDA volunteers.

The damage within South Alabama Presbytery is worse than that caused by Hurricane Ivan, the 2004 Hurricane that hit southern Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. Presbytery Executive Stamford Turner will be meeting with PDAT members tonight, and may accompany them to Mississippi in the morning.

In Tropical Florida Presbytery, PDAT members Lawrence Willis and Mark White are visiting with pastors and seeing first hand the damage caused by Katrina when it blew through southern Dade and Monroe counties. Rev. Tim Stover will accompany them today as they make their way down the Florida Keys to visit with pastors, view the damage and begin to assess needed assistance.