All volunteers will be expected to observe and adhere to the BDM Health Safety and Illness Policy for serving on a rebuilding site.
“Every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.” Heb. 3:4
A disaster can destroy not only homes, but also the sense of well-being for survivors. Brethren Disaster Ministries recruits volunteers, led by faith, to use their skills to promote recovery.
Trained, skilled project leaders supervise volunteers as they extend a helping hand to clean up debris and restore the homes of disaster survivors in need. The presence of these volunteer work teams helps to ease trauma and promote recovery.
Current Active BDM Rebuilding Sites
*Eastern Kentucky – July 2022 flood Recovery
*Scheduled to be open September 10–November 18, 2023
Between July 25th and July 30th, 2022, several complexes of training thunderstorms developed that brought heavy rain, deadly flash flooding, and devastating river flooding to eastern Kentucky and central Appalachia. These thunderstorms, at times, caused rainfall rates in excess of 4″/hr across complex terrain that led to widespread devastating impacts. While it did not rain continuously during this 4-day stretch, the overwhelming amounts of rain and resultant flooding led to 44 deaths and widespread catastrophic damage. Entire homes and parts of some communities were swept away by flood waters, leading to costly damage to infrastructure in the region. Over 600 helicopter rescues and countless swift water rescues by boat were needed to evacuate people who were trapped by the quickly-rising flood waters.
As of January 2023, there were 262 families still living in the state-provided campers. About 850 locals were still displaced. Nearly 17 percent of households live on less than $1,000 a month. See project details.
Dawson Springs, Kentucky, 2021 Tornado Recovery
On Dec. 10-11, 2021, a devastating outbreak of 61 confirmed tornados swept through eight states with Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri being the most impacted. The resulting destruction leveled whole towns, but also caused much damage along the 250-mile paths of the storms. From 24 counties in Kentucky alone, over 15,000 applications were completed for requests for assistance from FEMA.
Estimates are that around 75 percent of the town of Dawson Springs was leveled, which was home to around 2,500 people. Over 650 of the 1,200 housing units in the town were lost and there were 15 lives that were lost. A BDM rebuilding site opened in January to serve in Dawson Springs, Ky. BDM volunteers are currently housed at the Habitat for Humanity Pennyrile Region property located in Madisonville, Ky. Work could continue there at least through the end of 2023. See project details.
Local Response and Short-term Response
There are currently no national short-term opportunities available. For information on any local responses, contact your District Disaster Coordinator.
Recently Closed and Past BDM Responses
Below is a list of our most recently closed rebuilding projects. For a full list of past BDM sites, visit our Past Projects page.
Waverly, Tennessee, August 2021 Flood Recovery
BDM responded to a line of storms and rain that moved through middle Tennessee in August 2021 by hosting a project site in Waverly, TN. This catastrophic, flash flooding event impacted the counties of Dickson, Hickman, Houston, and Humphreys. It was reported that over 17 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, sending large amounts of water rushing, including to areas that did not see the most rainfall. This site opened at the end of April 2022 and closed December 17, 2022.
Coastal NC, 2018 Hurricane Florence
The Coastal NC BDM project was in response to Hurricane Florence which made landfall in North Carolina on Sept. 14, 2018. This slow-moving storm proved to be the wettest tropical cyclone in Carolina’s history. This site served communities in Pamlico CO from Sept 2020 to the end of April 2021 before pausing and then reopened at the end of October 2021 before closing permanently in the middle of April 2022.
Dayton OH, Spring 2019 Tornadoes
A BDM project located in Dayton, Ohio helped with the rebuilding efforts in the Miami Valley area. This site reopened in April 2021 as the only BDM site open and closed at the end of October 2021. This project was funded by grants from the Greater Dayton Disaster Relief Fund of The Dayton Foundation.
