Disaster Response

Photo gallery: LCMS responds to flooding in Watseka, Ill.

Volunteers converge at Calvary Lutheran Church in Watseka, Ill., to clean flood-damaged homes on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016. In December 2015, a large flood ravaged a large swath of the town.

Synod supports districts, congregations in disastrous-storms recovery

LCMS Disaster Response training and resources enable district disaster responders to coordinate recovery efforts in the aftermath of destructive storms and flooding.

Photo gallery: Flood damage in St. Louis, other Missouri communities

Floodwaters swept through St. Louis and other Missouri communities in the days following Christmas 2015, and the massive flooding damaged homes and business while also closing several roads, including highways and interstates.

Preparedness, training aid in recovery in aftermath of Texas tornadoes

Texas District responders partner with local LCMS congregations to organize recovery efforts following the Dec. 26 storm.

Disaster-response conference offers how-to info, advice

This year’s conference, Oct. 6-9 in St. Louis, brought together some 100 district disaster-response coordinators, pastors and laypeople involved in disaster work.

KFUO Audio: Disasters and Mercy

KFUO Radio host Andy Bates talked on Oct. 7 with the Rev. Terry Makelin, the Rev. Tom Heren and the Rev. Seth Clemmer about the life and mercy work of their congregations in the wake of disaster in their communities.

LCMS disaster assessment begins

The massive amount of rain has burst dams and blocked roads. Pastors Denninger and Meyer discuss the differences between this disaster and Hurricane Hugo as they determine how to best serve the needs of the community and help with recovery.

LCMS Disaster Response helps amid Southeastern after-flood

LCMS Disaster Response Manager Rev. Michael Meyer deploys to assist the LCMS Southeastern District in essential damage assessments, as flooding continues in South Carolina.

LCMS allots disaster funds for Papua New Guinea food crisis

LCMS Disaster Response provides initial funding of $16,500 after flooding, drought and frost decimate the nation’s food supply.

Spots still open for National Disaster Response Conference

The free, annual conference — set for Oct. 6-9 at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis — is open to church workers and anyone who is interested in disaster response.

Illinois church, community give thanks for tornado recovery

St. John’s Lutheran Church, New Minden, Ill., holds rededication services as the congregation and community celebrate tornado recovery on Aug. 9.

Photo gallery: Nebraska church holds service one year after twin tornadoes

About 75 St. John Lutheran Church members and guests join the Rev. Terry Makelin, pastor of the church, for a Day of Supplication and Prayer service at St. John Lutheran Church on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, in Pilger, Neb. A year ago to the day, with the service almost to the hour, rare EF-4 twin twisters destroyed the church along with the majority of Pilger.

A year later, tornado-struck congregation helps others

Members of St. John Lutheran Church mark the one-year anniversary of the twin tornadoes that ravaged the community of Pilger, Neb.

Church plans worship after devastating fire

The main building of Grace Lutheran Church, Vestal, N.Y., is declared a total loss after a May 18 storm-related fire.

Photo gallery: Tornado destroys Zion Lutheran in Delmont, S.D.

An EF2 tornado ripped through Delmont, S.D., mid-morning on Sunday, May 10, and destroyed Zion Lutheran Church. The twister claimed no lives but injured nine people, including at least one Zion member who was hospitalized.

Despite demolished church, ‘amazing gratitude’ after South Dakota twister

Zion Lutheran Church in Delmont, S.D., loses its roof to a devastating tornado May 10, but Sunday-school children and teachers at the church are unharmed.