Chaplains Deploying to Provide Emotional and Spiritual Care After Deadly Blanco River Flooding

Contact: Erik Ogren, 704-401-2117, eogren@bgea.org 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 27, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are on the ground in San Marcos, Texas, to provide emotional and spiritual care following the devastating and deadly floods that have caused widespread destruction throughout the area. From there, the chaplains will help bring assistance to nearby Wimberley and other areas affected by the overflow from the Blanco River, which – according to news reports – crested at more than 44 feet, far beyond the river's flood stage of 13 feet.

Even as the response in San Marcos begins, the ministry is continuing to assess other flooded areas in Texas for additional potential deployments.

"We mourn with the families that lost loved ones, some of whom have not yet been found," said Jack Munday, international director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "And we grieve with those who lost every last thing that they own, all of their dreams washed away in a surge of dirty water. The width and depth of this tragedy is extensive and heart-breaking. Please be in prayer for all of those – and there are so many – who have been tragically impacted by this storm."

The organization has responded in coordination with Samaritan's Purse, the Christian disaster relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, who is also president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. 

The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team just wrapped up a deployment to Van, Texas, some 255 miles northeast of San Marcos, following a tornado outbreak in the small community earlier this month.

For more information on the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit www.billygraham.org/rrt. Updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/BGRapidResponseTeam.

About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team:
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into a nationwide network of chaplains in 48 states who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 195 disaster sites, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.