September 27, 2010

CHICAGO – Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) provided an emergency grant of $10,000 to LDR-Wisconsin to help with initial responses to flooding in parts of the state, according to the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, LDR director.

LDR is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Flooding in Wisconsin, the result of heavy rains in recent days and throughout the summer months, "is still unfolding," Massey said. Arcadia in West-Central Wisconsin and Portage, in the center of the state, are among the areas most affected.

The Trempealeau River in Arcadia was receding Sept. 27, and people in Arcadia who were evacuated late last week have returned to their homes, said the Rev. Peter M. Jonas, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Arcadia.

"The congregation handed out Red Cross clean up kits" to affected area residents over the weekend, Jonas told the ELCA News Service. Arcadia's mayor, John Kimmel, visited Christ Lutheran's services Sept. 26 and provided flood information, Jonas said.

Christ Lutheran Church "is about a block from the river, so we were in an area hit pretty hard," Jonas said. The church building took on about 2 to 3 inches of rainwater in the basement, he said. Sunday School classes were cancelled Sept. 26 while members worked to get the water out. The parsonage was also flooded with rainwater, and Jonas' family, who were evacuated Sept. 24, lost some possessions, he said.

"Several parishioners who are in areas of town deeply affected had 3 to 5 feet of water in their basements," Jonas said. The congregation also plans to provide volunteer cleanup crews to assist area residents, he added.

The Wisconsin River near Portage, swollen to a record level because of significant rains in the northern part of the state, caused some lowland and residential flooding on the river's south side, said the Rev. Richard L. Inglett, pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Portage. A section of a 100-year-old levee on the south side of the river is seeping water, but was still holding the river back Sept. 27, he said.

The main part of Portage sits on the north side of the river and the levee system there is working well, he said. Bethlehem's church building is not located near the flooding and has not been affected, Inglett said, adding that he's been checking with member families living near the affected area. According to media reports, the river is expected to stay above flood stage until later in the week.

Information about Lutheran Disaster response is at http://www.ldr.org/, on the Web.

ELCA News Service