Floridians are a tough bunch. Hurricanes are coming. We prepare for them and know how to weather the storms. But two major hurricanes in a row in as many weeks is a lot for even the most grizzled locals. Helene caused a record wave in our coastal community, and Milton was a severe wind event. I weathered both storms.

The Eye of Milton passed through my neighborhood and the back of the eyewall was unlike anything I had experienced in previous storms. My church, Bradenton Westresponded immediately. Here’s what I’ve learned over the past few weeks.

Flight, Fight, and Freeze Responses Are Inevitable. People react differently to an acute crisis. My church began serving the neighborhood at first light after the storm. We first focused on the most desperate. A house had been split in two by a large tree and I expected to be able to find someone who had died. A shirtless gentleman approached us.

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“Are you the owner?” »

“Yes.”

“Are you OK?”

“I’m doing well.”

“How did you handle the storm?” »

“I slept through the whole thing,” he laughed. “But there was a lot of alcohol involved!”

You must serve people where they are, which includes a multitude of factors: geography, socio-economics, language and emotions. When a person is experiencing a fight, flight, or freeze response, the most important variable for ministry is often their emotional state.

Most salvage work is carried out by locals. The running joke here is true. Waiting out a hurricane is like being stalked by a turtle. But once the storm passes, everything goes quickly. In an area like Bradenton, our grocery and hardware stores will be restocked before the supplies you are shipping arrive. Some of our stores operate on generators and are open in the event of a power outage. The first on the ground are locals. Our county “first arrival” crew did a phenomenal job clearing the roads. These are men and women from the region who mobilized. The premises cut and deliver generators. Residents are pulling up carpet and cutting drywall. One of the best ways to support disaster relief is to donate money to a local church that is doing the work. We burn money more than anything else.

There’s always that one thing you need that no one can get to you. After Milton, our biggest problem was finding gas to power generators and chainsaws. We had water. We ate. What we needed was gas. People camped out at gas stations and waited. The fuel lines were miles long. My Favorite Nonprofit — One more child — sent us emergency shipments. Fuel supply is not what they do, but they understood the crisis and responded to it. We were rationing half gallons to keep medical equipment working for people with life-threatening illnesses. Fortunately, our governor opened the supplies just in time. I don’t want to dramatize what was happening, but I believe we were just hours away from a total societal collapse.

The hardest internal work is controlling anger. The church tower is destroyed. The roof of the conference room almost collapsed. There are 34,506 leaks in the school building. Your best chainsaw has lost a blade and we can’t find a replacement. People from outside organizations call and say they can send help. They don’t show themselves. Frustration quickly turns into anger. This anger may be justified. You can lead from a place of anger. But it doesn’t take much for justified anger to become toxic. Channeling the emotion of anger into positive energy is one of the most difficult parts of leadership in times of crisis.

Old school is the best approach to communications, operations and supply chains. Cell phone service was spotty. Cut fiber optic lines made Wi-Fi difficult to find. There was a power outage for a week. We managed around 200 volunteers who responded to hundreds of requests for help. After this storm, we are investing in GMRS receivers and other equipment that does not require electricity, cell towers and Wi-Fi.

The media is haphazard in covering these storms. Not every hurricane is a news event. A small Category 1 storm is like an afternoon thunderstorm, but the media would have you believe it’s a buzzsaw that runs across the entire state of Florida. Most National Media Failed to Research evacuation zones and understand who should leave and who should stay. In many cases, it is more dangerous to leave than to stay due to gas shortages on the limited routes north. Stories about climate change abound, but we need more stories about insurance issues, the best ways for the federal government and disaster relief organizations to respond, and about working residents tirelessly to rebuild their communities. And I wish we could provide continued coverage to the good people of Appalachia until every issue is resolved for them.

I learned a few things from this storm. Bradenton West will be even better equipped to respond in the event of a future storm. I am grateful to serve with amazing people who didn’t stop until everyone who needed help received it.

Originally published on Responses from the Church.