SBTC DR teams, equipment arrive in Florida, stage in Pensacola to serve in Dorian”s wake

PENSACOLA  Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief feeding, shower, laundry and support teams and equipment mobilized and began leaving for Florida on Mon., Sept. 2. Teams are staging in Pensacola to await further instructions as Dorian approaches the state and the eastern seaboard of the U.S.

Dorian made landfall as a category 5 hurricane on Grand Bahama Island Sunday night, Sept. 1, and stalled over the islands as a category 4 storm, claiming 5 lives in the Abaco Islands.

With wind gusts up to 140 mph, tides 10 to 15 feet above normal and flooding from up to 30 inches of rain, the storm is expected to continue to wreak havoc over Grand Bahama Island through much of Tues., Sept. 3, the National Hurricane Center said.

Among the SBTC DR units deployed to Florida was the new 10-person bunkhouse. Also on its first deployment is a laundry support unit from Clay Road Baptist in Houston. In addition to Clay Road Baptist, SBTC churches sending equipment and/or teams to Florida include Flint Baptist, Harmony Hill Baptist in Lufkin, Westside Baptist in Atlanta, FBC Linden and FBC Leonard.

“SBTC DR will be working with a tremendous team in Florida, with Florida Baptist Disaster Relief of the Florida Baptist Convention and Florida Emergency Management,” SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice told the TEXAN. “We are so grateful to be able to serve together to help the victims of Dorian.”