CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 11, 2024 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) will deploy to Slidell, Louisiana, following widespread storms that swept across the South. Initial reports indicate an EF-1 tornado left a path of destruction in the St. Tammany Parish city, just north of New Orleans, on Wednesday, April 10. “We haven’t seen this much damage since Hurricane Katrina,” Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer said in a statement to local news outlets.
“Unlike hurricanes, tornadoes are often unpredictable and people don’t have much time to prepare. But we need to remember that even in those moments when disaster strikes, God is still with us,” said Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT. “That is the message we are going to share with residents who have been affected by this disaster – that God’s love is greater than all the tragedy of this world. Our chaplains will be in Slidell to listen to, comfort, pray with, and share a message of hope in the community.”
BG-RRT chaplains will arrive in Slidell tomorrow, April 12, 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 two locations. Besides Slidell, Louisiana, 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 Slidell, Louisiana
B-Roll and photos (please use with credit to Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
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.
– 30 –
Media Contact:
Lisa Moseley
lmoseley@bgea.org