Churches At Heart of Response To South Carolina Flooding
They're handing out water and accepting clothing donations after a devastating storm
Churches and spiritual communities in South Carolina are assisting in the emergency response to devastating flooding that isn’t yet over.
After days of rain that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called “a storm of historic proportions,” reports say breached damns and swelled rivers continue to threaten neighborhoods, sink cars and leave tens of thousands of residents stranded without clean drinking water. The storm has caused at least 13 deaths, ABC News reported.
Vocativ used geo-location technology to find images and chatter emerging from areas in South Carolina such as the capital, Columbia, that were hit. Results showed that local churches are rising up as primary grassroots sources of support for those affected.
Its not the government's job to take care of people, its the Church's! Go to https://t.co/UaBhOMA0U5 to help or more info #FloodSCWithLove
— scott bostick (@scottbostick) October 6, 2015
New Spring church is using its Columbia campus as a donation distribution center, while several other churches are cooperating with organizations like the Red Cross. Groups such as the Sisters of Essence #777 are also using social media to spread word that they have free clothing available for needy families.
An analysis of Twitter and Instagram posts also revealed that “God” was the most-mentioned figure in chatter about the floods since Monday. God was referenced more than twice as often as Hurricane Joaquin, which never actually hit the east coast but provided moisture that fueled the flooding.
On Saturday, President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in the state, which made federal funds for the emergency available. Over a thousand National Guard troops have also been deployed, and officials have carried out evacuations.