GLENALLEN – It’s not unusual for Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief (MODR) teams to return to an area more than once due to back-to-back floods.
But it’s rare that MODR teams would be called on to provide aid following two different disasters just months apart. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened in Glenallen. In April, a tornado struck the area, killing five people, injuring several others and leaving a trail of devastation behind. MODR teams were on the ground in a matter of days with chainsaw crews and assistance.
Just a few months later, in the middle of the night on Aug. 14, the community suffered a second, although more confined, disaster. This one came in the form of a flash flood caused by a levee break after storms dropped eight inches of rain in just a few hours. Fortunately, Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief teams were once again back on site to bring Help, Hope and Healing.
“Almost everyone we helped with flood recovery had also suffered some damage from the tornado,” said John Mohler who spent a week in Glenallen as the Incident Commander (white hat). “To make matters worse, some of the homeowners we helped had just gotten a new roof or finished other repairs when the flood hit. Others didn’t have the insurance or the money to make repairs following the tornado when they suffered additional damage from the flooding.”
Although most of the work done by MODR teams was in Glenallen, Mohler said there were a few other properties that teams assisted with in Marble Hill where MODR teams were based at the First Baptist Church.
“In addition to all the volunteers we had helping with flood recovery, we had a great support team that was cooking meals and manning the shower and laundry unit,” said Joe Dayringer, who served as the Incident Commander during MODR’s final week on site. “We also had assistance from a team from Illinois, as well as four untrained walk-in volunteers. Andrew Green, pastor of Marble Hill First Baptist Church, and his staff were very supportive, as well. While attending church services on the Sunday we were there, we even got to help the church organist celebrate her 104th birthday.”
It was reported that Green not only helped deliver lunches to numerous victims and volunteers, but that he personally loaned his car to a friend who lost his vehicle in the flood and needed a way to get to a health appointment. He simply stated that the community was hurting and in need of help.
To that end, MODR teams completed 18 work orders during their time in the area, while five more were completed by others. One of the greatest highlights, however, involved a homeowner who wasn’t even affected by the flooding.
“I had sent out a chaplain and assessor team, and a neighbor lady at one of the sites started talking to them,” Mohler explained. “They asked her if she knew who Jesus was, and she did not. They then asked her if they could explain Him to her, which they did, and she prayed to accept Christ. She had no flood damage in her house, but was willing to hear about Jesus Christ.
“It was certainly an unfortunate situation for those affected by both disasters,” he concludes. “I’m just glad we were able to be a light in the darkness for the community in more ways than one.”