The Lord is with us: Florida pastor shares update in the wake of Hurricane Ians destruction

“The Lord is with us” and there are “many reasons to be filled with hope and even to rejoice,” says a pastor in Florida in an update after Hurricane Ian made landfall with winds of 150 mph, killing at least 32 people and causing catastrophic floods and life-threatening storm surge.

Communicating on behalf of Pastor Tom Ascol, Hannah Ellis posted a message on his Facebook page Saturday morning, saying that cell service and power are down in the area and relief efforts will be ongoing for a long time as homes and businesses are rebuilt and restored. Many people have asked how they can help, she said, providing a link to where financial donations can be sent directly to the church to assist their efforts in the community.

At least 27 people were killed in the storm in Florida, and the number could grow, NBC News reported, adding that more than 1.3 million customers in the state remained without power three days after Hurricane Ian’s landfall Wednesday afternoon.

“In the wake of such catastrophe it is easy to be disoriented by the traumatic experiences you have just lived through and the catastrophic loss that is evident everywhere,” wrote Pastor Tom Ascol of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida, in a Facebook post on Thursday…(Excerpt from The Christian Post)