Zeta Downs Trees and Power Lines, but AG Churches Report Only Minor Damages

Hurricane Zeta hit Louisiana with surprising force Wednesday — just 1 mph shy of a Category 3 hurricane, but due to how fast the storm moved, flooding was minimized and AG churches in the storm’s path escaped with mostly tree damage, power outages, and minor physical damage to buildings.

According to Brenda Viator, the director of School of Ministry and credentialing for the Louisiana Network Ministry, staff spent Thursday calling pastors and leaders in sections impacted by the hurricane.

“There were a few churches with minor damage, such as downed trees and windows blown out,” she says, “but water and electricity are problems — 82% of Jefferson Parrish was without power, though it is progressively getting better.”

In addition to accessing damage, network representatives also assessed the need. “We wanted to know what we could do to help,” Viator says. “We do have teams going out and I believe other teams are coming.”

The network wasn’t the only entity assessing damage. Convoy of Hope had its U.S. Disaster Services team assessing damages in the region as well.

“We’re sending two loads of resources — food, water, paper products, and cleaning supplies — to the impacted areas around New Orleans and the coastal area of Mississippi,” says Jessica Blake. A third load is also scheduled to be sent in the near future.

According to reports, more than two million people lost power due to the storm and at least three people were killed. In a televised press briefing, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said that in his state the storm caused the closure of 22 state roadways and hundreds of thousands were without power, but only 76 additional people were in shelters — though well over 3,000 people were already in those shelters from hurricanes Laura and Delta.

Dan Van Veen

Dan Van Veen is news editor of AG News. Prior to transitioning to AG News in 2001, Van Veen served as managing editor of AG U.S. Missions American Horizon magazine for five years. He attends Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, where he and his wife, Lori, teach preschool Sunday School and 4- and 5-year-old Rainbows boys and girls on Wednesdays.