When back-to-back F-3 tornadoes hit Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in eight days, teams of volunteers from the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association and the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief sprang into action to provide help and hope.
The first tornado struck Century in northern Escambia County Feb. 15; and a second one cut a two-mile swath through Pensacola and Santa Rosa County neighborhoods Feb. 23.
“It’s been 28 years since Pensacola took a direct hit from a tornado,” said disaster relief volunteer Sonny Davis. “And here we have two. But we have been told this may be a trend in Florida with the El Nino weather system.”
According to the Pensacola News Journal, county assessments indicate that 653 homes and businesses were affected by the storms. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has requested the counties be declared a state of emergency.
The past two weeks have been overwhelming, said Kim Johnson, director of community development at Pensacola Bay Baptist Association, as their staff has tried to connect with people affected by the two “catastrophic” tornadoes.
“We’ve been wrapped around ‘life care’ helping the affected navigate beyond the storm.”
Counselors from the association-sponsored “Faith and Hope Clinic” have been involved in “triage counseling,” she said, working with the displaced in Red Cross shelters and going door-to-door in damaged neighborhoods.
Johnson said as teams spoke to those affected, the survivors shared multiple times that they knew the “Christians” would come to help.
Hillcrest Baptist Church’s Spanish Moss Mission, located near the airport and adjacent to the designated Red Cross Shelter, provided meals and showers to families in the shelter.
Johnson said they will continue to network with the Mayor’s Office, United Way and other community agencies to meet continuing needs of the survivors.
Delton Beall, Florida Baptist disaster relief and recovery ministries director, said teams of trained disaster relief volunteers began assessing the damage on the day after the tornadoes struck and responding to needs immediately.
Local trained volunteer teams in the region were called out to provide the needed work in Century, one of the poorest communities in Escambia County, repairing 35 homes.
After the second storm hit Pensacola, Florida Baptist clean up and recovery teams were operating out of Hillcrest Baptist Church, which served as the command center and deployed volunteer teams from churches in Chipley, Ft. Walton Beach and The Baptist College of Florida at Graceville. Volunteers repaired 66 homes, tarping roofs and providing tree and debris removal.
Volunteer Davis, a member of Hillcrest, said the teams he worked with had been providing help to homes in an area stretching from Ninth Avenue and Creighton, along Scenic Highway to the I-10 corridor. “There has been a combination of needs,” he reported. “They needed lots of tree removal, both pine and oak trees, and repair and patch roofs that were punctured by tree limbs.”
“The people were very appreciative,” said Paul Madison, who is also a member at Hillcrest. After repairing each home, the volunteers witnessed to the homeowners. “This is an excellent opportunity to share our faith,” said the retired fireman.
On the Sunday after the Pensacola tornado struck, he reported, two families attended worship at Hillcrest.
“This is my gift and God blesses me for it,” he said. “I’m not a preacher, but we are being the hands and feet of Christ. The reason why I do this is because if one person comes to know Christ, it will be worth it.”
By Barbara Denman, Florida Baptist Convention, March 4, 2016