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U.S. Flooding

The situation

Beginning on July 27, a line of severe storms dumped record amounts of rain on eastern Kentucky, overflowing rivers and creeks onto streets and neighborhoods. The death toll in Kentucky is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. Though hundreds of people have been rescued, the number of people missing is still unknown. Rising waters are damaging infrastructure, including roads, bridges and power lines, which hinders rescue efforts. The flooding has destroyed hundreds of homes and other buildings and left families with nothing. These severe floods are not limited to Kentucky; there has been flooding in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia and other states in the region.

Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, and other states were also affected by spring floods and severe storms over the summer months, where historic flood levels were recorded at 42 locations.

Our response:

As the waters recede and the full scope of the damage is assessed, Lutheran Disaster Response will work with the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and local communities to focus on long-term needs. We anticipate that the response will include rebuilding homes, replacing lost household items and providing emotional and spiritual care to survivors. This is in addition to our ongoing response to the December 2021 tornadoes in western Kentucky.

What you can do:

Pray:
Please pray for the communities impacted by the flash flooding. May God's healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need. Pray that God will deliver comfort to those who mourn and strength to those working diligently to care for affected communities.

Give:
Your gifts will support storm survivors. Gifts to "U.S. flooding" will be used in full (100%) to assist those affected by floods.  Checks can be made out to GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH with U.S. Flooding on the memo line, or give through Tithe.ly and designate the gift for U.S. Flooding.

Connect:
To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

  • Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
  • Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
  • "Like" Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook, follow @ELCALDR on Twitter and follow @ELCA_LDR on Instagram.