Hurricane Charley has developed into a very dangerous storm. It is expected to strike Florida's western coast later today with 120 mph winds, making it a Category III hurricane. The estimated 10 foot storm surge will likely cause widespread flood damage in the densely populated Tampa/St. Petersburg area. Thousands of Floridians are under mandatory evacuation orders. As the storm moves north through the eastern seaboard, heavy rain is expected to cause flooding in several areas already saturated by summer storms.
We are beginning to receive damage reports associated with Tropical Storm Bonnie. Two, small Presbyterian churches in Coastal Carolina Presbytery were damaged by tornadoes. Sprout Spring Presbyterian Church near Cameron, NC lost its' fellowship hall and suffered damage to the sanctuary roof. Wilson chapel Presbyterian church in Maxton, NC experienced roof and steeply damage when high winds toppled a tree. Grants from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering will be made available to these congregations.
Members of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team are on alert and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been in contact with affected presbyteries. We anticipate that significant financial resources will be needed to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable storm survivors and to damage to church property.
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