Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief teams mobilize to Kentucky following historic flooding

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief teams are mobilizing to Kentucky to help flood-stricken communities recover after historic rains pushed rivers to near-record levels and inundated hundreds of homes across the state.

In response, Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief has been asked by Kentucky Baptist leaders to establish and manage a multi-county recovery site based at Buck Creek Baptist Church in Calhoun, Kentucky. GBDR will lead the effort for at least four weeks, coordinating cleanup, recovery, feeding, assessment, chaplaincy, incident management, and family care ministries.

"This is a God-sized assignment," said Dwain Carter, director of Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief. "We are praying for volunteers to step up and say yes to helping in this historic flooding event."

More than 600 homes are believed to have been flooded in the areas where Georgia teams will work, Carter said. GBDR volunteers will be coordinating efforts alongside other state Baptist conventions to help Kentucky residents begin the long process of recovery.

Persistent storms since late March have battered Kentucky and neighboring states, spawning at least 157 tornadoes nationwide, killing more than 20 people, and leaving rivers dangerously swollen. In Franklin County, Kentucky’s capital region, the Kentucky River crested just below a record set in 1978, flooding downtown Frankfort and forcing widespread evacuations. Some residents have been returning by boat to flooded homes to tend to pets and assess damage.

Gov. Andy Beshear urged residents not to attempt to drive through flooded areas and warned that dangers remain, particularly as the Ohio River continues to rise along parts of western Kentucky.

Georgia Baptist volunteers will serve in several ministry areas on site, including cleanup and recovery, feeding, assessment, chaplaincy, incident management, and family care. There is also the potential for laundry services and heavy equipment operations. Kentucky Disaster Relief will provide shower units for volunteers working in the affected communities.

Ministry opportunities have already opened during the early days of deployment. Bob Sprinkel, a GBDR Family Care volunteer, said the team had breakfast at a local restaurant, where they were blessed to give out 14 new Bibles to staff and diners and to share the gospel. “What a blessing to start off a deployment!” Sprinkel said.

Carter emphasized that all current, credentialed GBDR volunteers are eligible to join the effort. Ministry leaders are reaching out by email, text, and phone to recruit volunteers, but Carter encouraged individuals to proactively contact their unit leaders if they have not yet been reached.

"If you cannot deploy, please pray for those affected by this flood and for the volunteers who are going," Carter said. "Ask your churches to pray with you."

The deployment comes at a critical time for Kentucky Baptists, many of whom are still recovering from previous disasters. Severe storms, tornadoes, and floods have pummeled the state repeatedly over the past several years, leaving a lasting impact on communities from the mountains of eastern Kentucky to the cities of the west.

In Monterey and Lockport, small towns along the Kentucky River, entire neighborhoods remain underwater. In Frankfort, residents have set up neighborhood supply stations in anticipation of a massive cleanup effort once waters fully recede. In Louisville, the Ohio River is expected to crest before beginning a slow retreat.

For Georgia Baptists, the call to serve is clear.

"We are grateful for every volunteer who says yes," Carter said. "The need is great, but our God is greater, and we are honored to stand with Kentucky in this time of need."

For more information on how to volunteer with Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief, please visit this site. Those looking to donate to the relief effort can visit this site.