NC-Based Christian Relief Organization Airlifts Supplies and Disaster Specialists to Hawaiian Communities Devastated By Flooding
BOONE, N.C., May 1, 2018— April's historic rainfall on the Hawaiian island of Kauai inundated local communities—destroying homes, washing out roads and isolating families from the rest of the island. On Wednesday, Samaritan's Purse will send personnel and supplies to Hawaii to help residents in hard-to-reach communities recover from the flooding. Supplies include heavy-duty plastic tarp, generators, chainsaws and other relief equipment.
After Hawaii's U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard informed Samaritan's Purse president Franklin Graham of the devastation in Kauai, he traveled to the area to see the needs firsthand and determine how the organization could help.
“I've seen the tremendous amount of damage that families in Kauai are facing after torrential rain flooded hundreds of homes, triggered mudslides and washed out roads,” said Graham. “We are here to share the love of Jesus Christ with families in need by helping them physically recover and reminding them that they are not alone.”
On Wednesday, May 2, Samaritan's Purse will airlift supplies on the organization's DC-8 cargo plane, departing Greensboro, North Carolina, at 8 a.m. The plane will land later that afternoon in Lihue on the island of Kauai. From there supplies will be transferred to trucks and then all-terrain vehicles to reach hard-hit, remote communities still inaccessible by road.
Samaritan's Purse, partnering with local churches, will mobilize volunteer teams to mud out flooded homes, remove debris and tarp roofs.
Graham is also president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and chaplains from the ministry's Rapid Response Team will work alongside Samaritan's Purse and the volunteers to provide emotional and spiritual encouragement.
For more information about how to help, go to samaritanspurse.org.
Samaritan's Purse is an international Christian relief organization that has helped more than 40,000 families in 35 U.S. states following hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and ice storms. Recently, disaster response teams helped more than 4,600 families in Texas and Florida recover from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, and aided tornado victims in Alabama and North Carolina.
