The most powerful hurricane to hit Florida in more than 60 years caused considerable damage to homes of Church members and to some Church buildings, particularly in the Miami Florida South Stake.
With 160-mph winds and a 12-foot tidal surge, Hurricane Andrew hit Florida, south of Miami about 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24. The previous day, Aug. 23, after growing from a tropical storm to a full-fledged hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Andrew hit the Bahamas. On Wednesday, Aug. 26, Andrew ripped into Louisiana's bayou country at Morgan City, about 20 miles east of Lafayette. As of Aug. 25, at least 15 people were reported killed in what may be the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history. Damage was tentatively put at $15 billion or higher - more than double the damage caused by Hurricane Hugo, which had been the most costly hurricane in the United States. Fifty thousand people were left homeless.Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy and president of the North America Southeast Area said initial reports were that members of the Church in the area and the missionaries were safe, with no serious injuries.
"We had no idea exactly where the hurricane would come ashore but we did what we could to prepare for it," Elder Morrison said. "On Sunday, members put up 300 sheets of plywood to protect windows in all the meetinghouses. We had missionaries stay in five of the buildings. We had about 40 missionaries stay overnight Sunday in the Kendall Ward meetinghouse [in the Miami Florida South Stake, some 15 miles southwest of MiamiT. The building just shook and shook for two hours. The plywood in the windows gave the building an extra measure of strength."
In the hours immediately after the hurricane hit Florida, some members were left without food and transportation. Missionaries were authorized to deliver food and other relief supplies to members in need, and help in cleanup efforts.
"We have significant damage to at least one of our buildings [in the Miami Florida South StakeT, and there has been some damage to other buildings," Elder Morrison said. "The bishop's storehouse in Ft. Lauderdale, which serves members in Miami, was damaged. Supplies from that storehouse are being distributed to members. The amazing thing is that we came out of the storm as well as we have.
"Crews are going in now [Aug. 25T to attempt to make emergency repairs on the homes of the saints. We've had wonderful cooperation from stake presidents in the area. Two hundred volunteers came in today and another 200 are coming Wednesday [Aug. 26T from West Palm Beach, Cocoa, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami to assist in the Miami South stake, which was the hardest hit. We have plywood, chain saws, generators, nails, furring strips, 2-by-4s and other supplies all coming in with the volunteers or have been purchased by the Church.
"Priesthood leaders have established two command posts, one run by a current stake president and the other by a former stake president. As volunteers check in, they're assigned to a work group. For members who come looking for assistance, bishops are right there to give food orders or whatever else is needed."
The Kendall Ward meetinghouse was used for coordinating relief efforts and providing meals to members. "We have an emergency trailer containing food, water, communications equipment, tents and sleeping bags, shovels, hard hats and other supplies in the parking lot of the Kendall Ward meetinghouse," Elder Morrison related. The emergency trailer was sent from the bishop's central storehouse in Atlanta. (A similar unit was en route Aug. 25 from Indianapolis, Ind., to Jackson, Miss., scheduled to be in position later that day in anticipation of Hurricane Andrew hitting the Gulf Coast somewhere between Houston, Texas, and Mobile, Ala.)
Elder Morrison said at least one Red Cross shelter was set up in an LDS meetinghouse in the Miami Florida Stake. "We are cooperating with the Civil Defense people in every way we can," he said. As soon as priesthood leaders learned the hurricane was heading toward Florida, they began finalizing their emergency plans. They had no idea where the hurricane would actually hit, so they had several buildings designated as possible Red Cross shelters.
"The one thing that has helped most is that we've had very good emergency planning," Elder Morrison said. "The stake presidents in the area had emergency plans in place. Since this is the hurricane season, they brought out and re-examined their plans within the last few weeks."
Elder Morrison said he was pleased with how well local priesthood leaders and members responded to the emergency. "The spirit of the members is just excellent. They're helping each other," he said.
As of noon Aug. 25, local stake and regional members were still trying to contact all members in the Leisure City and Cutler Ridge Wards. "We've had problems communicating because the telephones aren't working and roads are blocked with thousands of trees," Elder Morrison said. "Anthony Burns [bishop of the Cutler Ridge Ward and chief executive officer of Ryder Truck Rental, Inc.T lost more than half his home; the home of one of his counselors was destroyed. We've been concerned about members in that area because the news reported that every home in the Homestead-Lesiure City area had been destroyed.
Details on the effects of the hurricane on Church members in Louisiana were incomplete as of the Church News deadline Aug. 26. Elder Morrison did report, however, that members and missionaries were safe and that some meetinghouses sustained minor damage. "The hurricane came ashore over Morgan City, where we have a meetinghouse," he said. "Evacuation plans for members throughout the region were in place. Many saints had been moved into stakes to the north. Some went to the homes of members. Those who didn't have anywhere else to go went to one of two meetinghouses being used as evacuation centers."