Hurricane katrina 2005
Hurricane Katrina came ashore in Louisiana/Mississippi on August 29, 2005. It was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history. The eye of the storm measured approximately 120 miles in diameter and literally flattened hundreds of miles of coastline with winds and a storm surge that measured over 20 feet in some places. There were also scores of towns, like Bogalusa, which were inland but suffered expensive damage from high winds and tornados. Immediately following the storm, a number of Calvary Chapel Ministries responded to Louisiana and Mississippi to assist in relief efforts. CC La Habra made contact with city officials in Bay St Louis and set up what became known to the “locals” as “Camp Hope.” As resources from around the country began to stream in, we began feeding both Emergency Response personnel as well as the victims of the storm. Camp Hope soon turned into a small town, with a kitchen, dinning area, housing, warehousing, bathrooms/showers and a church. As teams worked the camp serving food and ministering to the local needs, clean-up, repair and construction teams set out each day to help in the communities all around “Camp Hope.” Before the operation ended, and CC Bay St Louis was planted in that community, tens of thousands of hot meals were served, and hundreds of homes cleaned, demo’d or repaired. Many came to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior as a result of the work done in and through “Camp Hope.” As Camp Hope was ministering to the needs of those in the Hancock County area other Calvary Ministries such as U-Turn and Safe Harbor were working in the Baton Rouge, Bogalusa, and New Orleans area.