Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has sent funds from One Great Hour of Sharing to assist the Presbytery of Northern Kansas in relief and recovery efforts related to flooding. Gail Farnham and the Reverend Bruce Wismer, members of the PDA National Response Team, will also assist the presbytery in the response.

Communities across the Kansas have suffered greatly from the recent storms and rains that dumped more than 11 inches of rain in some places in less than 24 hours which caused many lakes, rivers and streams to exceed their banks and caused major flooding in some areas. Some communities were also affected by high winds and/or tornadoes. One life was lost in Ottawa county (in the town of Bennington, Kansas) in a storm containing a tornado, and much damage was sustained in many areas.

The Presbytery of Northern Kansas continues to try to assess damage throughout its boundaries.

The small community of Wakarusa, Kansas, sustained severe damage as the Wakarusa River completely flooded out the entire town and emergency rescues were necessary to evacuate the residents.

Associate General Presbyter for the Presbytery of Northern Kansas, Melanie Crawford, visited the Wakarusa Presbyterian Church on Wednesday afternoon and has begun working with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to help this congregation as they try to recover and as they try to help the community recover.

The church basement is completely full of water, and around eight inches of water flooded the entire first floor of the church, ruining carpet throughout the sanctuary and fellowship hall, ruining the tile in the kitchen and leaving behind mud-coated floors. Water leaked into the refrigerator and all the cabinets. Choir robes are being cleaned to see if they can be salvaged.

Church members are cleaning up and are concerned about neighboring towns as well. Photo: Melanie Crawford

One Session Member and his family are trying to help with the cleanup at the church while at the same time trying to clean up their business and two rentals and help their son, whose home was probably a total loss due to the amount of water damage is has sustained.

But, in all this devastation, the members of this small congregation in this small community are pulling together and are still very concerned for and keeping the people of Greensburg, Kansas, in their prayers.

The presbytery is currently trying to establish the amount of damage to and the response needed for the Central Presbyterian Church in Topeka, Kansas.

This storm has caused additional damage. [Read more]