PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla., Oct. 11, 2024 – The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) is deploying crisis-trained chaplains to Charlotte County, Florida, following the extensive impact of Hurricane Milton. The storm made landfall on Wednesday night, Oct. 9, as a Category 3 hurricane, generating significant winds, flooding, and deadly tornadoes.
“Words can’t describe the devastation that we’re seeing throughout the region. It’s compounded by the reality that the residents of this area were already working to recover from Hurricane Helene when Milton struck,” said Josh Holland, international director of the BG-RRT. “This storm has left an incredible amount of heartbreak in its wake. Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains will be there to stand alongside those who are hurting, providing comfort and the hope of Jesus in these trying times.”
The BG-RRT is deploying in conjunction with Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian disaster relief organization which is also headed by Franklin Graham. Together the two ministries will address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those who have been affected.
In addition to the new Hurricane Milton-related deployment to Charlotte County, BG-RRT chaplains are currently spread throughout the Southeastern United States, ministering to those impacted by Hurricane Helene in:
- Perry, Florida
- Tampa, Florida
- Valdosta, Georgia
- Buncombe County (Asheville), North Carolina
- Burnsville, North Carolina
- High Country (Boone) region of North Carolina and Tennessee
Chaplains are also offering hope and providing emotional comfort and spiritual care to families impacted by Hurricane Francine in South Central Louisiana and those 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, and chaplain coordinators in Charlotte County, Florida
- 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 800 disaster sites across the globe, including shootings, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
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Media Contact: Erik Ogren, eogren@bgea.org