hurricane gustav/ike 2008
Before making landfall in Louisiana on August 31, 2008, as a category 2 hurricane, Hurricane Gustav swept across Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica. A total of 153 deaths were attributed to Gustav. A team from CC Costa Mesa (Parakletos International) responded and began work removing debris and trees from properties. While there Hurricane Ike had moved into the Gulf and was threatening the Gulf States. Our team took refuge in Baton Rouge and then followed the storm in from the east. As we were tracking the storm westward teams from CC Chino Hills, CC La Habra and other Calvary Chapels were tracking east to intercept the storm. The hurricane came ashore in Galveston, Texas on September 13, 2008. It was the third costliest storm in US history and the largest to ever make landfall in Texas. Hurricane Ike was blamed for at least 195 deaths and an estimated $29.5 billion worth of damage in the US.
Our Teams, along with Samaritan’s Purse, all met at CC Houston and set up operations. The church had sustained some damage, but was able to serve as food and water distribution site, a site for teams and equipment, and a jump-off point for work crews that were being dispatched into the local community to help clear trees off homes, remove debris, and tarp damaged roofs. It was another incredible opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love to those in need. As work began to thin in and around CC Houston, ACTS, out of CC Dallas, set up another base of operations in a town called San Leon. San Leon had been very hard hit by the winds and storm surge. Many on this peninsula had lost everything and few were getting any help. Our teams continued to work for a number of months with a local church in San Leon that allowed our teams to set up a base camp from which to run work and service teams.
Our Teams, along with Samaritan’s Purse, all met at CC Houston and set up operations. The church had sustained some damage, but was able to serve as food and water distribution site, a site for teams and equipment, and a jump-off point for work crews that were being dispatched into the local community to help clear trees off homes, remove debris, and tarp damaged roofs. It was another incredible opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love to those in need. As work began to thin in and around CC Houston, ACTS, out of CC Dallas, set up another base of operations in a town called San Leon. San Leon had been very hard hit by the winds and storm surge. Many on this peninsula had lost everything and few were getting any help. Our teams continued to work for a number of months with a local church in San Leon that allowed our teams to set up a base camp from which to run work and service teams.