8/23/04

Lakeland District Status Report

Davenport Fellowship Hall serving as a distribution point for groceries. County distributing ice. Salvation Army has a food trailer there.

Haines City Soffit damage to fellowship hall building.

Dundee cross and flame sign down, soffit damage, some shingle loss on parsonage and church buildings. Tree damage at parsonage and church sight.

Wahneta Serving hot meals in conjunction with Red Cross and Mercy House Ministries. Distributing water and ice and groceries as needed on sight and in the community.

Ft. Meade Four large trees down. Significant damage to SS rooms.

Bowling Green needs someone with experience in replacing church steeples.
Avon Park and Lakeland First teamed with locals to serve hot meals in Bowling Green.

Wauchula Power back on . Distribution sight for Red Cross food and supplies. Lot of tree damage need chain saw crews to assist in clearing yards in community.

First Zolfo Power back on. Need help to clear tree limbs. Parsonage lost roof. Not livable. Food service being supplied in cooperation with Avon Park, Lakeland First and St.John's Winter Haven.

UCCC at Zolfo. Sign awning fence and tree damage.

Winter Haven Trinity. Fellowship Hall roof repairs well on the way. Building being cleaned and dried out. Most furnishings probably not salvageable.

Every community in the storm path has extensive tree damage. Now that power is returning to most areas basic living is approaching normal. There are some residences that are not livable and some without jobs and food.

A team from Savannah is due in on Wednesday to help with cleanup, exact location to be decided tomorrow afternoon.

A team from Plantation is due Wednesday morning to assist Wednesday and Thursday as needed.

District Churches are being urged to assess the long term needs within their congregations and neighborhoods.

We move along one day at a time.

Bill Gill
Disaster Coordinator
Lakeland District The UMC