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| Flooded carousel under the Brooklyn Bridge |
Watching the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has been heart-wrenching. However, of all the disasters I have observed over the past few years, this is the one where many people headed the warnings and scrambled to get ready. In some areas, water and other emergency supplies disappeared from store shelves three days before the storm hit.
No electrical power means refrigerator and freezer items will spoil. It will take many days to get power going again in communities. No power means no heat. No transportation means no access to supplies. It is times like these that I am grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Church issued the following statement in the aftermath of Sandy:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by post-tropical storm Sandy. Local Church leaders along the eastern coast of the United States have made preparations for the storm. Church representatives are in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), The American Red Cross, Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and other relief agencies to coordinate response efforts. Forty-two LDS volunteers are supporting Red Cross shelter operations in New Jersey and neighboring areas. The Church is working closely with the Red Cross to identify additional shelter locations if needed.
The Church stands ready to assist affected communities. Emergency Response resources have been pre-positioned in Bishops Storehouses in the area. These resources include items such as food, water, blankets, hygiene supplies, tarps, cleaning supplies, chain saws and shovels.
Local Church leaders will make assessments in the coming days and coordinate with response partners to determine further relief efforts.
Mission presidents have taken precautions to protect the safety and well-being of missionaries.”
Helping hands are on the way! Advance preparation is the key. Let us each move forward this month with our own personal preparations.