Disaster in Kentucky

Monday, May 19, 2025

Friday night in Central Kentucky was pretty raucous. The National Weather Service has confirmed that tornadoes classified as EF2 and EF3 affected Russell, Pulaski and Laurel Counties causing who knows how much property damage and unfathomable injury and loss of life. 

Bill and I had just recently watched a documentary about a tornado in Missouri so a lot of that footages played out in my mind Friday night. I can’t imagine the fear, the uncertainty or the mourning that gripped the communities involved. 

What can we do now to help our fellow Kentuckians? I strongly suggest donating to the Kentucky Baptist Convention Disaster Relief Program. They are SO good at what they do. 

Bill tells about being at a natural disaster scene years ago when a box truck drove up. Kind-hearted people from many miles away had filled the truck with cleaning supplies, drinking water, non-perishable foods and clothing. 

At first blush that sounds great but here’s the problem. They already had enough cleaners — what they needed was buckets and mops. A company had already donated pallets of water and there wasn’t any room to store any more. The food pantry was already heavily stocked with macaroni and cheese and pinto beans but the people didn’t have a way to cook them. 

And then there was the clothing. It arrived in boxes and in garbage bags. For the most part the items were old, worn, stained and pretty useless. Interestingly, someone had sent a very sentimental piece of clothing — a wedding dress. Although the gesture was sincere, there was no use for such an item and there was no where to store it for later. 

The point of this story is simple. The people affected by the tornadoes last week need lots of things. The KY Disaster Relief team assesses the situation and provides accordingly. The meals they serve are hot and ready-to-eat. The clothing they provide is new and sized to fit. The cleaning supplies are appropriate for the site. 

So please give generously to help our communities. https://www.kybaptist.org/flood/

And pray for the victims and for the disaster relief team. 

LORD, Our hearts break for those who have been affected by the tornadoes in Kentucky. It is so very sad. Thank you for the KY Disaster Relief team— for their commitment, love and hard work. Thank you for the lives who will be impacted for your kingdom. May you be glorified through their boots on the ground today.