Churches wade in to help victims of US superstorm

CHURCHES and dioceses across the eastern seaboard of the United States were on Tuesday beginning to count the cost of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, which has so far killed more than 40 people in the US.

Ten people were killed in New York City alone, although the Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said that he expected that number to rise. A further 69 deaths were caused by the storm as it made its way through the Caribbean before it reached the US.

The Hurricane, which has been dubbed a "superstorm", caused floods, fires, and widespread power-cuts along the eastern seaboard. Public transport was cancelled, airports and subways were closed, and hospitals evacuated. Manhattan was among the hardest-hit areas, partly submerged after a massive surge of sea-water flooded subway tunnels, and the construction works at Ground Zero. New York's stock exchange was closed for two days in a row - for the first time since 1888.

President Obama, who had de­clared a state of emergency as the hur­ricane approached, toured storm-devastated areas of New Jersey on Wednesday. The cost of clearing up after Hurricane Sandy has been estimated at $30-40 billion (£18-24 billion).

Churches and diocesan offices on the eastern seaboard had followed government advice and closed before the storm's arrival. Email and dio­cesan websites were down, as were phone lines, cutting com­munica­tions for many who were trying to assess the worst-hit areas to co-ordinate relief.

The disaster response co-ordinator for the diocese of New York, the Revd Stephen Harding, said: "We're in the waiting-for-more-information stage for much of the diocese as to damage and effects." The diocesan convention was still due to take place this weekend, and would be used to gather informa­tion, he said.

The director of communications for the Episcopal Church in the US, Anne Rudig, called for prayers for Newark and New Jersey, particularly. She said that the Church would play "an important role in the recovery and rebuilding of New Jersey".

Christians from other parts of the US have travelled east to help in clearing flood-damaged homes and providing food and shelter. Chap­lains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team were among them. The international director of the team, Jack Munday, said: "I'm not sure that there are words that can adequately describe the enormity of this massive disaster. We'll do all we can . . . to offer emotional and spirit­ual care, and the hope and com­passion of Jesus Christ."

Smaller places of worship in other cities and in less-damaged New York neighbourhoods have opened to offer food and shelter to those in need. Many of the larger churches in the centre of New York are flooded or closed.

The Anglican Consultative Council, meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, issued a statement about the hurricane, expressing "their concern, compassion, and prayers for all those caught up in the impact of Hurricane Sandy. Members heard of the scale of lives lost in the Caribbean, in the eastern USA and Canada, and of the devastation wrought in the wake of the hurricane.

"Condolences were expressed to the Anglican Province of the West Indies, the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the diocese of Cuba."

The storm is forecast to weaken as it moves on into Canada, but it is still leaving up to a foot of snow in its wake.

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