MYAKKA — Bill Rhan had his eye on the Myakka River weeks before
meteorologists had zeroed in on the area east of Sarasota.
Rhan is the Florida Conference disaster response coordinator.
Rhan was monitoring the area because he knew the two weeks of
constant rain was eventually going to cause the river to hit its flood
stage—which it did in the middle of June. Rhan sprang into action to
assist residents. Homes, farmland, businesses and roads within one
mile of the river had significant flood damage, and many outlying
areas remain inaccessible due to flooding.
“I think there’s about 300 people impacted,” Rhan said. “It
was good to get the rain, it was beautiful. It helped the danger of
fire, but when you get an enormous amount of rain, well, there you go,
it’s a flood situation.”
The Gainesville, Lakeland, Leesburg and Tallahassee districts also
had some flood damage, Rhan added.
The Rev. Richard Nussel, Sarasota District disaster response
coordinator and pastor of First United Methodist Church, Bradenton, is
working with Rhan to help those who need it most. He said none of his
church members experienced flooding, but that hasn’t stopped him
from surveying the damage and helping in his district.
Nussel has collected food and clothing for people in Myakka and
said the next step will be the cleanup phase and pastoral care for
traumatized residents.
“They have had a good response from people offering help,”
Nussel said. “Home Depot and Wal-mart have been good about giving
people gift cards to start to rebuild their lives.”
Rhan contacted the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for
flood buckets because he distributed the last of the conference’s
supply in June. He is asking conference churches to provide materials
to rebuild the supply.
“I wish this was the worst of it, but the worst is ahead,” Rhan
said. “Hurricane season just started. There’s depressions and
tropical storms still to come.”
Supplies can be shipped to the Disaster Supply Depot in High
Springs, 3370 N.E. 53 Terrace, High Springs, FL 32643. Financial
donations for the Florida Conference Disaster Program may be sent to
the Florida Conference Treasurer at P.O. Box 3767, Lakeland, FL 33802.
Place account number 717 in the memo line.
For more information visit the Florida Conference disaster response
Web site at http://www.amenradio.org
or contact Lisa Rhan at 386-454-7775 or lisaxbird@aol.com.
Flood buckets include: a half gallon of bleach [bleach should not
be included if items are being shipped because it is considered a
hazardous material and illegal to ship]; five scouring pads; one scrub
brush; 18 reusable cleaning towels; seven sponges of assorted sizes;
50 ounces of laundry detergent; 12 ounces of Lysol concentrate; 28
ounces of disinfectant dish soap; 50 wooden clothespins; 100 ft. x
3/16 in. of arctic cotton clothesline; three or five packages of dust
masks; two pairs of latex gloves; one pair of canvas work gloves; 24
45-gallon trash bags; 14 ounces of insect repellent; and a can of air
freshener.
The rain was both blessing and curse.