{"id":25821,"date":"2025-08-22T22:12:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T22:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=25821"},"modified":"2025-08-22T22:12:58","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T22:12:58","slug":"20th-anniversary-of-hurricane-katrina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2025\/20th-anniversary-of-hurricane-katrina\/","title":{"rendered":"20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the Church of the Brethren response"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Jenn Dorsch-Messler<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane and became one of the most deadly and destructive storms on record. The record-breaking storm took the lives of over 1,400 people across multiple states and caused over $125 billion in estimated damage. The hurricane caused a storm surge that breached the New Orleans levee system in 50 locations, flooding 80 percent of the city with up to 15 feet of water and displacing tens of thousands of residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The storm brought to light significant inadequacies and changes needed in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, as well as infrastructure and emergency management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty years later, Brethren Disaster Ministries remembers the impact, response, collaboration, innovation, and recovery on the Gulf Coast. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our response included Children\u2019s Disaster Services (CDS) volunteers deployed during two different time frames, and Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding volunteers served for four years to build back areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. The great need and service opportunities available sparked a surge of volunteers and supporters committed to serving those impacted, with many volunteers serving multiple times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CDS responses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In just a little over a week after the hurricane, CDS began deploying volunteers to care for children in different locations under the leadership of coordinator Helen Stonesifer. From Sept. 7 through Oct. 27, 2005, 113 CDS volunteers served over 1,122 workdays in 14 different sites across the country\u2014because survivors and evacuees had been scattered to many locations, some far from home. The volunteers cared for 2,749 children in that period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year and a half later, CDS caregivers served children and families in the \u201cWelcome Home\u201d center in New Orleans. From Jan. 3-Sept. 11, 2007, 61 volunteers cared for 2,097 children, putting in 933 working days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CDS had a total of 4,846 child contacts related to Hurricane Katrina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebuilding response<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During a nearly six-year response to Hurricane Katrina, 5,737 Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding volunteers repaired or rebuilt homes for 531 families along the Gulf Coast. These volunteers served a total of 325,008 work hours, giving an estimated value of $6,776,416.80 in labor (2010 dollar value). Long-term disaster project leaders John and Mary Mueller oversaw this project for more than four years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Photos help remember and commemorate the Brethren Disaster Ministries response following Hurricane Katrina, on this 20th anniversary. Above: A Children’s Disaster Services volunteer cares for a child in one of the many locations where CDS responded following the storm. Below: One of the volunteer groups that took part in Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding projects following Hurricane Katrina. Photos courtesy of BDM<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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From Sept. 2005 through June 2011, our volunteers repaired and rebuilt homes in six communities affected by Hurricane Katrina: Citronelle, Ala.; Lucedale and McComb, Miss.; and Pearl River, East New Orleans, and Chalmette (St. Bernard Parish), La. The program also contributed to a New Orleans Ecumenical Build in cooperation with Church World Service and several other Christian organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital photo album<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brethren Disaster Ministries has created an online photo album providing a look back at our response, including both CDS responses and rebuilding projects. The album may be accessed at www.yogile.com\/bdmkatrina20<\/a>. You are invited to add your own digital photos to help build on this collection of memories of our service together. If you have any questions about how to add photos, please contact bdm@brethren.org<\/a> or 800-451-4407.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch for more coverage of the Brethren Disaster Ministries and CDS responses to and remembrance of Hurricane Katrina on Facebook and in the fall edition of our Bridges<\/em> newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commemorative events in New Orleans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The city of New Orleans will host a variety of commemorative events in the coming week. This includes a Day of Service on Saturday, Aug. 23, and a request for prayers of thanks and gratitude in the City-Wide Church Community on Sunday, Aug. 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting Monday, Aug. 25, there will be a week-long series of events throughout the city \u201cto recognize the Resilience of Our People, How We Have Evolved, and Are Now Empowered for the Future.\u201d The Hurricane Katrina 20th Anniversary Commemorative Summit on Saturday, Aug. 30, will wrap up the week of remembrance and recognition of both the impact of the storm and the progress that has been made toward recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about all of these events at the Katrina20 website https:\/\/katrina20.nola.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Jenn Dorsch-Messler is director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. Find out more about the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries at www.brethren.org\/bdm<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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