12/02/2016

A Message from Bishop H. Julian Gordy, Southeastern Synod, regarding fires and tornadoes in TN

Look for updates on how you can help those affected by these fires and tornadoes.

A Message from Bishop H. Julian Gordy, Southeastern Synod

Colleagues,

Thanks for all the expressions of concern for those affected by the fires in East Tennessee and the tornadoes in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. We still don't have definitive word about Our Savior, Gatlinburg, but are hopeful that the one report we have is correct and the church was not burned. As of now, four are confirmed dead in the fires. One hundred and fifty houses and businesses were destroyed. Several families at Our Savior lost their homes and everything in them. The fire blew down off the mountain in front of winds that were gusting as high as 87 miles per hour.

The wind blew power poles down, exploding transformers which started additional fires. That meant there wasn't much lead time in evacuating. One of our Lutheran families could not get their cars down the road due to trees having been blown down. They fled their house with only their cell phones and the clothes they were wearing as burning embers blown by the wind fell all around them. There have been four confirmed deaths with several people still missing and feared dead.

Storms have caused deaths in Alabama and Tennessee and damage in Mississippi. One of the tornadoes caused extensive damage in Tullahoma, TN, but our church there was not damaged.

Our disaster responders are at work and are coordinating with LDR, TEMA, FEMA, and others. This will be another long recovery.

All of this happened in the fall when we don't usually have storms of this nature and follows a nearly unprecedented draught.

Thanks again for your prayers and your response.

H. Julian Gordy
Bishop, ELCA Southeastern Synod