BAKERSFIELD, CA — CityServe International’s global relief network has announced an emergency operation to bring vital supplies and aid to the neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Debby. Early Monday morning, the hurricane hit much of central Florida with sustained winds of over 80 mph.
The National Weather Center reports over 30 inches of rainfall and a massive storm surge in much of Florida’s Big Bend region.
CityServe is providing basic essentials to the hardest-hit areas, including food, bottled water, medical supplies, batteries, sanitary wipes, disposable diapers, and more. As soon as conditions permit, CityServe will mobilize their team to begin damage assessments and determine what help residents need most.
“We’re now loading up 18-wheelers with relief supplies as quickly as we can,” said Terry Henshaw, Director of CityServe’s disaster response. “We know we’re on the clock as soon as a disaster of this magnitude strikes. The people of Florida need our help, and they need it fast.”
Florida officials have confirmed four deaths so far, and well over half a million Floridians lost power. Hundreds of residents are unable to return to heavily damaged homes.
“By working with local churches in the region,” Henshaw added, “we’re able to accelerate our response time and get relief operations underway with those who know the area well. Partnering with churches and local officials allows us to help the families that desperately need it and neighborhoods that might otherwise go underserved.”
Sarasota-based CityServe Florida leader Peter Young is on the ground coordinating the local response.
“It’s only been 11 months since the same Big Bend region in north Florida was struck by Category 3 Hurricane Idalia, which brought deadly storm surges of up to 12 feet,” said Young. “Some of those neighborhoods don’t even have all the blue tarps off their roofs yet, and now they’ve been hit again. The difference with Debby is that the major impact is water and not wind, but so many have had their lives disrupted all over again.”
Recent CityServe relief operations include clean-up and repair efforts after the deadly landfall of Category 5 Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida in September 2022, responding to the EF4 tornadoes that ripped through parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia in March 2023, and aiding victims of the firestorms that devastated Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui in August 2023.
Henshaw and Young are available to comment on emergency relief operations now underway. For press inquiries email press@jdaworldwide.com.
About CityServe
CityServe International is a collaborative network of churches and community leaders who help those in need live better lives. CityServe empowers the local church to fulfill its purpose to overcome despair and transform lives by resourcing them with tangible goods and capacity building. CityServe brings the church to the table to address community challenges by offering long-lasting relationships that lead to transformation and has been designated a “Community of Faith and Opportunity” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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