Catholics Meet Challenge of Carolina Flooding

Relief efforts have involved parishioners helping fellow parishioners and parishes helping hard-hit parishes.

Above, Catholic Charities provided some disaster-relief services to a flooded neighborhood in Socastee, S.C. Residents were unable to leave their homes. Below, Lisa Muir and her daughter, Audrey, sort supplies donated for flood victims at St. Joseph Church in Columbia.
Above, Catholic Charities provided some disaster-relief services to a flooded neighborhood in Socastee, S.C. Residents were unable to leave their homes. Below, Lisa Muir and her daughter, Audrey, sort supplies donated for flood victims at St. Joseph Church in Columbia. (photo: flooded street, Catholic Charities; sorting, Christina Lee Knauss/The Catholic Miscellany)

COLUMBIA, S.C. — In the first week of October, major areas of South Carolina were devastated by heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Joaquin. One weather station in Columbia recorded nearly 17 inches of rain in a 22-hour period. Another station in Kingstree recorded 15.7 inches in 24 hours.

The resulting floods left many houses with only roofs and chimneys showing — and, worse yet, thousands of people in dire straits. And so it went during the period that came to be known as a “1,000-year storm.”

Marshall Shepherd, the director of atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia, called the flooding “unprecedented and historical.”

According to various news reports, at least 17 people around the state lost their lives due to the floods. In the Columbia area, up to 40,000 homes were without drinking water, and thousands were without electricity. Across the state, more than 500 roads sustained severe damage, and bridges were closed. Rain damage was expected to top $1 billion. As the storm ended, relief efforts were well under way not only from outside sources, but in the case of churches, from parishioners helping fellow parishioners and parishes helping hard-hit parishes.

“We know at least a dozen to 15 families sustained unbelievable devastation,” Msgr. Richard Harris, vicar general of the Charleston Diocese and pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Columbia, told the Register two weeks after the storm subsided. “Some have small children in the home. Twelve lost everything, even the keepsakes.”

A response came quickly from Charleston’s Bishop Robert Guglielmone. “We simply ask for prayers, especially for the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific storm,” he told The Catholic Miscellany, the diocesan paper. “Many people lost homes, cars and other possessions, but in time and with assistance, these can be replaced. The strong spirit of our people in South Carolina and their lively faith will get us through this difficult time and will sustain us.”

Msgr. Harris said the parish school had to close for a week, undrinkable tap water had to be boiled or replaced with bottled water; and as he visited several homes, he was amazed by the devastation. Several homes had to be gutted.

Although most residents were still in shock two weeks after the rains one woman said, “I don’t know which way to turn” — St. Joseph’s became the light for their path.

 

Immediate Response

Despite the devastation, three days after the storm subsided, St. Joseph’s had already put out a special-edition bulletin mobilizing relief efforts for the parish, which is “4,500 souls” strong, said Msgr. Harris. “A lot of the families were at Mass” on Oct. 11, hearing their pastor tell them in his homily, “We should thank God every day, several times a day, no one from St. Joseph’s lost their lives.”

Parishioners were quick to help those who suffered losses.

Dan Wagner, the parish’s director of communications who coordinated relief efforts at St. Joseph’s, told of members going out to help remove carpets, wallboards and all sorts of damage from houses. If they found the job was done, they proceeded door-to-door, asking everyone they encountered what they could do to help.

Wagner said families and individuals, young and old, made and delivered meals to the relief workers. So did the parish’s Boy Scout troop and youth group. “Others were preparing meals for their neighbors who had no utilities,” Wagner said.

Parents were bringing in clothes and extra school uniforms and books for the parish’s students who had lost theirs in the floods.

Everyone wanted to join the volunteering, right down to the kindergarten children. The youngsters sorted donations of water, food, paper products and diapers.

“These little children wanted to show what they could do,” Wagner said. “Our American Heritage girls and kindergarteners to fifth-graders were very happy knowing they were helping in a real, tangible way, doing what they could do because a lot of their families and friends were hurt by the flood.”

 

Plentiful Personal Stories

Each person, from relief volunteers to those being helped, had a touching personal story. Wagner remembers the couple who came for help when four feet of water was still in the second floor of the house they had lived in for 55 years. “They still had a wonderful attitude,” he said. “They were able to stay with their daughter, who lived close by. The man asked for ‘just a gallon of water and a gallon of bleach for cleaning; that will help us.’”

The parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society wrote checks on the spot to help with expenses.

Parishioners Patrick and Christine Blake and their young sons Thomas and Samuel checked on people, stopping in devastated areas. “My wife and I and our boys helped a couple of people we knew from church,” Patrick explained. “They had to move things out of the house. Everything was heavy and wet. We helped for the day,” finding it

“good for the giver more than for the person who receives. It was great for our family … and a reminder to everybody we’re not alone.”

“It’s amazing to see the people of the parish living out Christ’s commandment to love one another,” Wagner said, “and seeing that movement of Christ in action.”

 

Churches Help Churches

People from outside areas helped, too. Fifty miles away, in Aiken, the Cub Scouts of St. Mary, Help of Christians Catholic Church delivered two van loads of food, diapers, cleaning supplies and toiletries — twice in one week — to St. Joseph’s, as well as $900 in donations and the 100,000 bottles of water the pack helped collect.

Cub master Joe Deskevich described how the 48 cubs in the parish pack decided to suspend their annual popcorn sale and instead led this drive at the church.

“We decided there was a Catholic church we can help somewhere,” said Deskevich. Parishioners donated not only after the Sunday Masses, but during the week as well.

“It was unbelievable to see. Our parish is awesome, and the people are wonderful,” he said.

 

The Long Haul

In Kingstree, the Felician Sisters — winners of Catholic Extension’s Lumen Christi award for their charitable work — are ready for the continued recovery effort. Unlike other areas, their own neighborhood had minimal damage.

The sisters decided “we’re going to be there for the long haul,” said Felician Sister Susanne.

The money people have been sending to the sisters is earmarked for flood victims who have lost their homes. The sisters are also collecting gift cards to food stores and discount chains so that people can purchase necessities like blankets, towels, pillows and small appliances.

But getting ready for the long haul didn’t stop the sisters from one immediate rescue: visiting the homes of 35 children in their after-school program with water, peanut butter, bread, cereal and soup because the children had to be out of school for days.

“We knew that meant they were not getting free breakfasts and lunches in school and needed to be fed at home,” said Sister Susanne.

The Charleston Diocese itself is also in it for the long haul. Deacon Gabriel Cuervo, the diocese’s associate director for social ministries, said, “We are here for the long journey. We want to help all these families as much as we can. The diocese has received overwhelming support from other dioceses and other individuals. We are preparing to be with these families as long as it takes for them to recover.”

He added that Catholic Charities is a much-needed partner.

At St. Joseph’s, Wagner shed a bright light on the overall situation: “It’s really heartwarming to see people are really pulling together.”

 

Joseph Pronechen is a Register staff writer.