CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 29, 2024 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) will deploy to Minden, Iowa, and Elkhorn, Nebraska, after tornadoes damaged hundreds of homes in the region. Both cities are suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska, and are part of the area that saw an outbreak of more than 102 reported tornadoes within a 48-hour period.
“Those that live in the Midwest are not strangers to tornadoes – and both Nebraska and Iowa are located in the heart of Tornado Alley,” said Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT. “While the Tornado Emergency system helped prevent any loss of life in the greater Omaha area, there are still hundreds of families dealing with the aftermath of massive destruction from the tornado outbreak on Friday. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team crisis-trained chaplains are familiar with this type of catastrophic loss and will provide emotional and spiritual support to those affected by storms.”
BG-RRT chaplains will arrive in the greater Omaha region today, April 29, to minister to those in the community who suffered damage and loss due to the storms.
BG-RRT chaplains are now providing emotional and spiritual support in five locations. Along with Minden, Iowa, and Elkhorn, Nebraska, chaplains are also in Slidell, Louisiana, and Rock Hill, South Carolina, after storms impacted both of those cities earlier this month. Chaplains are also offering hope and providing emotional comfort and spiritual care to families who have been forced to flee their homes in war-torn Ukraine.
For more information on the ministry, including videos, photos, news articles and an interactive map of former and current deployments, visit the BG-RRT press kit or BillyGraham.org/RRT. Updates can also be found at Facebook.com/RRTChaplains.
Media Opportunities
- Interviews with:
- Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT
- Chaplain coordinators in Minden, Iowa, and Elkhorn, Nebraska
- B-Roll and photos (please use with credit to Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
- Interview request form
About the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team
The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team was developed by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has since grown into an international network of chaplains in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia who are specifically trained to deal with crisis situations. They have deployed to more than 800 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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Media Contact:
Lisa Moseley
lmoseley@bgea.org