CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 25, 2026 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) is deploying alongside Samaritan’s Purse to Wisconsin and Michigan where unprecedented rainfall has caused widespread flooding.
Floodwaters have submerged homes and businesses, forcing evacuations and affecting thousands of residents in New London, Wisconsin, and Newaygo County, Michigan. Days of heavy rainfall pushed rivers to dangerously high levels, damaging hundreds of properties across these two regions. Crisis-trained chaplains will be present in the affected communities to offer emotional and spiritual care to those facing loss, displacement and uncertainty.
“Our hearts go out to those impacted by the destructive flooding across Wisconsin and Michigan,” said Josh Holland, vice president of the BG-RRT Global. “Many families and individuals have been forced from their homes and now face the difficult road ahead. But the Bible reminds us that even through storms, God remains a refuge and a shelter for those in need. Our chaplains are there to remind them of this truth—offering prayer, a listening ear and pointing them to the hope of Jesus Christ.”
The BG-RRT deploys to natural disasters in coordination with Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian disaster relief organization also led by Franklin Graham. Together, the two ministries will address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of impacted homeowners.
In addition to Wisconsin and Michigan, chaplains are ministering to communities in Lena, Illinois, following a tornado, and in Saipan after a typhoon. The BG-RRT also continues to offer emotional 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, vice president of the BG-RRT Global
• Chaplain coordinators in Wisconsin and Michigan - B-Roll and photos of deployments (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 940 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Claisse Opulencia
copulencia@bgea.org
+1 (704) 401-2717