A week ago, a National Response Team from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance was in the region to review the damage from Hurricane Ida. The NRT has labeled the Presbytery of Philadelphia as a disaster, meaning PDA will be active in supporting the rebuilding and recovery efforts. This is the first time the Presbytery has ever had such a designation.

There are four regions of emphasis in the assessment; Manayunk/Roxborough, Upper and Lower Providence, Ambler/Upper Dublin, and Bridgeport/Norristown. These are just the four regions that they visited, however, as a Presbytery we can add other sites, such as the River Road community here in Gladwyne.

I have been asked to help coordinate the Presbytery’s response to Hurricane Ida. An initial call has been set for Tuesday, September 28th, for the team to begin our work. This will be a long term project, as we seek to offer pastoral, emotional and spiritual care for the communities impacted, as well as lend a hand to help rebuild and clean out.

If you know of individuals who have been impacted by Ida please let me know. The widespread disaster in our region is unprecedented, meaning that the FEMA and PEMA processes will be new to everyone. We will walk with those whose lives have been drastically altered in an already very challenging time.

As more information develops, I will be sure to get it out to the community.