Colorado Flood Response by ICOC and HOPE worldwide

On September 13, Matt and Melanie Bates, disciples in the Denver Church of Christ, photographed their three boys standing in front of a roadway that has transformed into a lake after massive flooding hit their area of Boulder, Colorado.

The recent flooding throughout Colorado has been described as ‘biblical.’ According to CNN, as many as six are dead. Hundreds more unaccounted for. Up to 1,000 people are still awaiting evacuation. HOPE worldwide, the American Red Cross and disciples from the International Churches of Christ around Colorado are providing much needed relief.

Major flooding and flash flooding continue across parts of the Colorado Front Range in central and northern Colorado due to rainfall amounts of four to 12 inches over the past 24 hours. The Boulder area and adjacent foothills have been hit particularly hard, but flash flooding has also been reported southward to Colorado Springs and northward to Fort Collins.

The Fort Collins Christian Church is helping to establish shelters in northern Colorado in the next 24 hours. Many of the families who are displaced throughout the region will be moved to Fort Collins and the church stands ready to serve. The disciples in the Fort Collins church along with Colorado State University campus students are already serving and volunteering with the Red Cross and expect to be actively involved with recovery for the next three weeks.

The Boulder Campus Ministry led by Chris Clawson, part of the Denver Church of Christ, is also engaged in the community relief efforts with our partners at the Red Cross, serving those effected by this disaster. Check out their Facebook page for photos and updates.

Denver evangelist John Lusk and Ft. Collins evangelist Hans Rasmussen are working closely with the local HOPE worldwide chapter directors and Dave Tomlinson, HOPEww National Coordinator of Disaster Services, and Antonio Boyd, HOPEww VP of Community Services, as well as the American Red Cross, FEMA and other agencies to assess the needs once the situation is moved from the rescue to the recovery stage.