Baptist Disaster Relief Stages From Pagosa Springs Church as Desert Southwest Flooding Kills at Least Four
Flooding continues in Pagosa Springs, in Archuleta County, Colorado: a home owned by a member of Centerpoint Baptist Church was left balanced perilously on half its foundation, nearly swept away by the San Juan River. Senior Pastor Jon Duncan told Baptist Press the family ultimately kept its house, and the church is rejoicing.
The family is among more than a dozen Centerpoint members who have had to evacuate their homes during the flooding, exacerbated by two rounds of rainfall in the past week. Another church family living along the river was also helped to evacuate, and Duncan said a house was seen on the morning of November 3 giving way into the river and being demolished as it passed under a bridge.
At least four people have died in flooding impacting several states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Florida and Utah, the National Weather Service and state leaders reported. Two deaths each were reported in Arizona and Florida.
Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief announced on November 3 that Centerpoint Baptist will serve as a staging area, with volunteers from Colorado and Oklahoma expected to respond. Flooding and washed-out roads, however, have prevented crews from reaching the command center.
David Smith, regional director for the Mesa Verde and Uncompahgre Baptist associations with the Colorado Baptist General Convention, said the flooding in Southwest Colorado is worse than it was last year, that rain was still falling on November 3, and that needs cannot be determined until the rain stops. Disaster Relief in Colorado is on standby, he said, but he believes more help will be needed than Colorado can provide. Pastors in the impacted area reported no damage to church facilities other than minor roof damage.
About 50 miles west of Pagosa Springs, First Baptist Church of Bayfield has opened its facilities to serve evacuated families. Pastor Chris Talleri said the one-hour drive to Pagosa Springs probably takes about four hours now because of washed-out roads and bridges.
The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs measured its two highest crests on October 23 and November 1, the Weather Service reported, but did not eclipse the area's 1911 record flood, when the river crested at 17.8 feet. Duncan said meteorologists had expected a crest of almost 22 feet, while the river ended up cresting at less than 17 feet.
Colorado Baptist Disaster Relief, deploying to Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County, issued a call on November 3 for donations to cover costs including meals for volunteers, fuel for vehicles and generators, field supplies and equipment, and command center expenses. The deployment is expected to continue for several weeks or longer, the group said.
(Source: Baptist Press)
Source: Baptist Press
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：科罗拉多州Pagosa Springs的San Juan River。colorado trips 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The San Juan River at Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Photo by colorado trips, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
