Rita - Baptist Message

HURRICANE RITA:
The Forgotten Storm

‘Southern Baptists responded and God touched the hearts of many.’

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Hurricane Rita: Amidst the destruction, Christ was exemplified

By Philip Timothy, Managing Editor LAKE CHARLES – Entire towns were wiped away. Numerous fishing villages were smashed beyond recognition. Roads were impassable. Livestock by the hundreds were left stranded. Cars and trucks floated down flooded streets and the only means of getting around was by boat. In an area known for its fabulous seafood industry and recreational fishing, the stench of dead shrimp and fish hung in the air. On Sept. … Continue reading...

The post office in Creole was flattened by Rita’s winds as it came ashore near the Louisiana/Texas border. The intense winds of Rita, which were clocked at 180 miles per hour, left behind ruin and devastation throughout southwest Louisiana.

Another neighborhood gone – Ten miles west of Cameron, Holly Beach which was once called home by 300 residents. now lies in shambles. Hurricane Rita destroyed numerous structures and severely damaged power and utility systems along a long stretch of Highway 27 in lower Cameron Parish. Win Henderson / FEMA

A Tennessee DR chainsaw team haul off the sawed limbs in Lake Charles, Westlake and Sulphur. Tennessee sent more than 250 disaster relief volunteers to southwest Louisiana following Hurricane Rita.

Tennessee DR – The people that we talked in the neighborhoods were very appreciative of the Red Cross and especially the Baptist Disaster Relief Teams assembled from all over Tennessee - Pikesville, Chattanooga, Crossville, Sparta, Morristown, Knoxville and many other states! We prepared the hot meals for distribution via the Red Cross Emergency Relief Vehicles and for the volunteer Chainsaw Teams that cut down and cleaned up the fallen trees and limbs.

Neighbor helping neighbor. Some communities in Vermilion Parish like Delcambre, Erath, Kaplan and Pecan Island were underwater after Hurricane Rita’s storm surge sent a wall of water almost nine miles inland. People with boats went out and rescued neighbors caught by the high waters.

Ships – Hurricane Rita moved these ships many miles from their port and left them grounded. The U.S. Coast Guard is removing commercial ship's from land with FEMA's help if the owners are unable to do so. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Power lines on road – Hurricane Rita's high winds forced power lines and poles down to the street and power is out for a large portion of the region. Many roads in and around Lake Charles are covered with debris and are impassable. Robert Kaufmann/FEMA

Open Hymnal – This hymnal, open to "The Great Physician," was found at the front door of Oak Grove Baptist Church, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike and was rebuilt after Hurricane Rita in 2005.

National Guard – Three National Guard vehicles prepare to begin their mission to evacuate residents that stayed behind and are going into the floodwaters of Hurricane Rita. Some areas of Vermillion Parish were under four feet of water. Win Henderson / FEMA

Mudd home – Alvin & Earline Mudd try and salvage what they can from what is left of their home. When they built their home they elevated it to what they thought was a safe level. Hurricane Rita left them homeless and they have applied to FEMA for temporary housing. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

MRE – National Guardsmen from Monroe, LA empty pallets of Meals Ready to Eat, water and ice as they place these valuable commodities into the trunks of cars and backs of pickup trucks driven by local residents. Thousands of people in this area of the state were left without power by Hurricane Rita. Win Henderson / FEMA

Mobile Homes – These Mobile Homes are 15 miles inland from where they are supposed to be because of Hurricane Rita's tidal surge and high winds. FEMA covers Debris removal under the public assistance program. These homes will be removed with FEMA funds. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Members of a disaster relief team put down a blue tarp on roofs of homes damaged by Hurricane Rita’s high winds. For months after the storm, homes with blue tarps were seen everywhere.

Johnson Bayou Mobile Home – This Mobile Home at Johnson Bayou was destroyed by the tidal surge from Hurricane Rita. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Johnson Bayou community – This community at Johnson Bayou was almost totally leveled by the tidal surge and high winds of Hurricane Rita. Hurricane Rita left many people homeless and as of Dec. 20, 2005 FEMA has taken 2,530,657 registrations from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Hwy 27 – Power poles lean precipitously along Highway 27 which borders the Gulf of Mexico in lower Cameron Parish. Thousands of poles are either leaning or fallen due to Hurricane Rita's powerful winds. Win Henderson / FEMA

Inside of home – Hurricane Rita's tidal surge damaged the inside of homes. Most of these homes will have to be demolished and people are looking to FEMA for help with their homes and getting their lives back in order. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Homes lie in ruin surrounded by over a foot of water, stacked on top of each other in the tidal surge in the town of Cameron along the Gulf Coast. Cameron was one of the hardest hit communities by Hurricane Rita.

Holly Beach road – Most of the roads at Holly Beach are unsafe for travel and must be repaired. This neighborhood of 500 structures was vanished by Hurricane Rita's tidal surge leaving little if any debris. Hurricane Rita left many people homeless that are asking FEMA to help them rebuild their community and get back on their feet. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

First Baptist Church Hackberry – Members of First Baptist Church in Hackberry rallied Saturday to take hurricane-damaged items out of the church and separate them into "salvageable" and "sodden" stacks before Sunday worship Sept. 21. The church, which took on four feet of water from Hurricane Ike, had been rebuilt after Hurricane Rita in 2005.

First Cameron Gym – The gymnasium of the First Baptist Church in Cameron remains damaged and filled with broken pews and other debris.

Disaster Relief mud out teams played a huge role in helping residents affected by the flooding clean out their homes of mud brought by the flooding.

DR Chaplain lifts up a homeowner in southwest Louisiana after his home and town was severely damaged by Hurricane Rita’s high winds and flooding.

Creole – The community of Creole is destroyed a result of Hurricane Rita's tidal surge. The community and victims are asking FEMA to help. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Cemetary. Unidentified coffins are being taken to the morgue in an attempt to identify their bodies. Photo by Greg Henshall / FEMA

Cameron1 – A team tears out insulation from inside First Baptist Church in Cameron.

Cameron2 – A team from Sale Street Baptist Church in Lake Charles stands in front of the banner “First Baptist Church: Rebuilding lives, church and community” after help rebuild the building damaged by Hurricane Rita.

Bridge wiped out – Hurricane Rita wiped out this bridge causing a 30 mile detour. FEMA is helping Local governments get Roads, Bridges, and Utilities back in operation so residents can move back. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Beware of alligators. Hurricane Rita’s tidal surge forced some very unhappy residents out of their home. Authorities posted signs everywhere to warn people to beware of alligators looking for food and shelter.

Beulah Boudreaux – Beulah Boudreaux and Hazel Preston look at the area where their home of 60 years once stood, before Hurricane Rita. Hurricane Rita left many people homeless that are applying to FEMA for help. MARVIN NAUMAN/FEMA photo

Another victim. While Hurricane Rita displaced thousands of people, it also displaced alligators as well. Hundreds were spotted uprooted from their habitat by Rita’s massive storm surge. Here the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s office runs across a very large alligator.

Aerial of Cameron – Widespread water damage is evident in Cameron, La., from Hurricane Rita’s storm surge, which stretched far into the state after the storm made landfall at Johnson Bayou.

American flag – An American flag, planted on a sandbar that was once a road in this gulfside community of 300 residents, flutters amongst the ruins that remain. Hurricane Rita totally devastated this town which also played host to thousands of tourists and fishermen. Win Henderson / FEMA

A young child is comforted by a disaster relief worker after she and her family came by the feeding unit to get a warm meal and their clothes washed. Thousands of people were displaced following Rita making landfall in southwest Louisiana.

A man wades through flood waters in his hometown of Hackberry on the Gulf Coast which was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Rita. Residents of the sportsman's paradise say they will return and rebuild.

A trailer home, which was knocked off its foundation, sits in flood waters left in the wake of Hurricane Rita. Rita hit land as a Category 3 Hurricane near the Louisiana/Texas border causing flooding and wind damage throughout the region.

A lone boat travels down main street in Delcambre which was under 10 feet of water. A boat was the only means of transportation for many residents of Vermilion Parish for several weeks after Rita.

A shrimp boat thrown ashore by Rita's winds.

HURRICANE RITA

Hurricane Rita: Amidst the destruction, Christ was exemplified

The Stories

Forgotten by many, Rita was memorable for churches, residents of southwest Louisiana

Survival is what this Cameron church is about

Rita was a catalyst for Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief growth

In Rita’s aftermath, Robinsons seized opportunity to serve

Vermillion Parish churches banded together, trusted God to rebuild following Rita

Amid destruction, hurricane produced salvations

Newly formed Carey Baptist Association chainsaw unit under went baptism by storm

Ten years after Rita, Johnson Bayou Baptist Church close to rebuilding on original site

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