Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Birmingham is coordinating with Mission to North America’s Disaster Response team to provide disaster relief.

Reed DePace, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Montgomery, provided this report on the tornado that hit Alabama.

Here in Montgomery we are about an hour south of the southern end of the storm wall. Our immediate church family/community experienced no deaths, injuries or damage from these storms. However, Alabama in some ways is like a small town; everyone knows everyone. One family in our congregation lost an aunt, uncle and cousin when their home was destroyed by a twister.

The worst damage seems to have come from the one mile wide F5 monster tornado that has been made infamous for the images of its havoc in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It appears this storm touched down just in Mississippi and proceeded to stay on the ground across Alabama, parts of northern Georgia, and then stopping only when it hit the southeastern corner of Tennessee.

An F5 tornado packs winds over 200 miles per hour. Anyone its path above ground and not in a steel reinforced shelter had little ordinary chance of survival. The current death toll in our state is close to 200. It is sure to climb as we’re still digging out. The civil authorities are hoping to have found all the dead and injured by Sunday. At that point they will let survivors back into the areas.

The worst damage is in/around Tuscaloosa (west central Alabama), and a small community north of Birmingham, Pleasant Grove. The devastation in this small town seems to have all but wiped them off the map. I’ve not heard about efforts in Tuscaloosa, but I do know our Clerk of Presbytery is in contact with our brothers in the area and will provide us with information as he receives it. As well, a recent attender in our church is a member of our Governor’s administration. While I expect he is too busy to get in touch with me right now. I do have an email in to him asking for any direction he might give.

I’m sure we will have a better handle on what kind of help and where to direct it in a few days. If your churches are interested in possibly helping feel free to contact me and I will forward your contact to the appropriate folks.

Let me end with one vignette from the storm. I received this from a PCA pastor friend in Evangel Presbytery, and have confirmed some of it with someone at Briarwood PCA.

While most of the Briarwood congregation escaped the storm’s ravages with only some minor property damage, two of their members were killed in the storm. One of them, a father of fourteen, lost his life protecting his wife and four of his children. Two of those children are in the hospital with injuries.

As to helping out, if you’ve seen some of the pictures you realize that many folks have lost all worldly possessions. They have no place to sleep and no blanket or pillow on which to sleep. When the time comes simple basics to sustain life as if on a camping trip will be most in need.

Oak Mountain PCA in Birmingham is coordinating with Mission to North America’s Disaster Response team. You can contact Oak Mountain here: 205-995-9265, or visit the Facebook page created to update disaster relief efforts and needs. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oak-Mountain-Church-Disaster-Relief/182244861826158.

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