Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief Deploys to Florida Following Hurricane Isaias

Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief (MSBDR) volunteers are deploying to the Florida Panhandle in response to Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall near Destin on Oct. 9 as a Category 2 storm. The hurricane caused widespread power outages, downed trees, and significant debris across western Florida and southeastern Alabama. To meet needs across the region, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief, and the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief network has activated several operational sites in the Florida Panhandle and Southern Alabama:

Across the Florida Panhandle region, FLBDR & the SBCDR network has activated four major operational sites to support feeding, cleanup, and recovery:

  • Pensacola, FL – Led by Florida SBDR with support from Texas On Mission. This site includes Incident Management, chainsaw and tarping teams, shower trailers, assessors, and chaplains.
  • Crestview, FL – Led by Georgia SBDR with support from Arkansas SBDR, providing IMT, chainsaw/tarping teams, shower and laundry trailers, assessors, and chaplains.
  • Milton, FL – Led by Louisiana SBDR with support from Southern Baptists of Texas, deploying IMT, chainsaw/tarping teams, shower trailers, assessors, and chaplains.
  • Panama City, FL – Led by Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief, with support from Texans on Mission and Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief. This site includes IMT, chainsaw/tarping teams, shower trailers, assessors, chaplains, and feeding operations.

In Alabama, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams are also actively engaged following Hurricane Isaias. Alabama SBDR has established three recovery sites in Andalusia, Frisco City, and Flomaton, with additional local chainsaw teams working in the Enterprise and Eufaula areas. Early assessments have indicated that tree damage is scattered and less severe than initially projected, allowing Alabama teams to manage response needs with in‑state resources.

Together, these seven sites illustrate the strength of the SBC DR network: multiple state conventions working together, sharing resources, and coordinating operations to meet needs across the Florida Panhandle and South Alabama.

At the request of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, MSBDR is assuming leadership of the response site at St. Andrew Baptist Church in Panama City, providing Site Management, Recovery Operations, and Feeding Support. Approximately 40 Mississippi volunteers are en route, with initial teams arriving today and additional personnel arriving tomorrow.

MSBDR volunteers will staff incident management, assessment, chaplaincy, feeding, shower/laundry, and chainsaw operations. Incident Management and Chaplaincy/Assessment teams will begin Tuesday, with chainsaw operations scheduled to start Wednesday. The initial deployment is planned to last two weeks.

MSBDR will be joined at the Panama City site by a Kentucky Baptist feeding unit providing mass feeding in coordination with The Salvation Army, along with chainsaw teams from the SBC Disaster Relief Network.

Volunteers serving in this deployment represent a wide range of Mississippi Baptist churches and associations, including:

  • Tate/Desoto Baptist Association
  • First Baptist Church, Oxford
  • Temple Baptist Church, Hattiesburg
  • Franklin County Baptist Association
  • Humphreys County Baptist Association
  • Neshoba County Baptist Association
  • Jackson County Baptist Association
  • Attala County Baptist Association
  • Simpson County Baptist Association
  • Lauderdale County Baptist Association
  • Covington/Jefferson Davis Baptist Association
  • Rankin County Baptist Association

MSBDR requests prayer for safe travel, effective ministry, and storm survivors across the affected region as volunteers serve in Panama City. Those wishing to support the response financially may give through the MBCB Online Giving page at: https://mbcb.org/give/ and designate the gift for Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief.

Gifts may also be mailed by check, designated for MS Baptist Disaster Relief, to: Mississippi Baptist Convention Board P.O. Box 530 Jackson, MS 39205

Mississippi Baptist Disaster Relief is funded by gifts to the Cooperative Program and the Margaret Lackey State Mission Offering. Designated gifts directly support MSBDR operations and ministries serving survivors of disaster and crisis events. Your prayers and support strengthen our volunteers and help bring hope to families recovering from Hurricane Isaias.