Hurricane Katrina, a powerful and potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm, is headed for the Gulf Coast. The hurricane is packing maximum sustained winds near 175 mph winds and storm surges could reach 28 feet. President George Bush has declared a state of emergency for Louisiana and Mississippi. The mayor of New Orleans has ordered a mandatory evacuation. Alabama and Florida, which were hard hit by four major hurricanes in 2004, could also be heavily affected by this serious storm.
Episcopal Relief and Development staff is reaching out to affected dioceses. We stand ready to provide emergency assistance as needs are identified. We will continue to monitor the situation. Please continue to visit our Web site for updates.
Katrina first made landfall south of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Thursday, August 25th. With gusts up to 95 mph, the then Category 1 hurricane knocked out power lines and caused flooding across three counties.
Please pray for families affected by this hurricane.
To make a contribution to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina, please donate to the US Hurricane Fund by credit card at http://www.er-d.org/ or by calling 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development, c/o US Hurricane Fund, PO Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101.
