June 27, 2016 | Lynchburg, Virginia: Flooding in West Virginia last week took the lives of at least 25 people and destroyed dozens of homes and businesses. Nearly one foot of rain fell in only 12 hours. The President declared parts of the state a major disaster. People are calling this a thousand-year flood. Today, thousands of people are still without power and many are trying to replace the essential things they need after losing everything.

The SBC of Virginia Disaster Relief team has been meeting with emergency coordinators since the disaster struck. One of our fellowship of churches, Fincastle Baptist Church from Fincastle, Virginia, met some of those needs on Sunday in Alleghany County. Nearly 200 church volunteers made the trip to Callaghan Elementary School to deliver a box truck loaded with bottled water, food, diapers, baby wipes, and cleaning supplies. Inflatable rides were set up to encourage children who came.

These supplies, collected by Fincastle Baptist Church members and others, were distributed to families impacted by the flooding in the Callaghan neighborhoods, as well as delivered to families in Covington and White Sulphur Springs. The efforts at Callaghan Elementary School also included setting up an SBC of Virginia portable shower unit for families to use as needed which remains there as needed.

Today, volunteers from SBC of Virginia churches are operating a feeding unit in Elkview, West Virginia providing an expected 3,000 meals. Tomorrow that is anticipated to rise to 7,000. Volunteers are also expected to assist in cleaning up damaged homes and businesses throughout this week.

Those who are interested are encouraged to donate online where 100% of the contributions go to SBC of Virginia Disaster Relief efforts. The collection of Flood Buckets that include basic cleaning supplies and necessities are also welcomed during this time. To learn more about this and other ways to donate, visit the SBC of Virginia website: sbcv.org/floodrelief.