Prayers for Haiti

[Archimandrite Michael]

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,
God be with you.
Although our wonderful mission in Haiti has been spared any problem resulting from the recent hurricanes and floods, we are surrounded by sadness and devastation. More than 600 persons died in Gonaives -about 75 miles north of here, and the count rises thrice daily. Homes have been washed-away and the city is completely coverd with water; it is an unbelievable tragedy. Although we have no parishioners in Gonaives, we have pariashioners that come from there and cannot get in touch with their families because the phone lines are down and the roads all blocked.
And all of this coming on top of horrible political unrest, the likes of which most others have never experienced.
Please pray for all those who have lost their lives, and all those who have lost everything else BUT their lives.
Life in Haiti is difficult!
With love in Christ,
Father Michael

[Mor Ephrem]

Lord, have mercy.

[Sean]

May God strengthen you in your great podvig, Father. Pray for me, a sinner.

Love,

--Sean

[尼古拉前执事]

Dangerous Jeanne hitting Florida hard
11:59 p.m. ET ET Sat.,Sep.25,2004

James Wilson, Sr. Meteorologists, The Weather Channel

Dangerous Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, as of 11 p.m. ET

Jeanne is hammering Florida's east coast. There have been reports of wind gusts of 95 to as high as 125 mph being reported now in St. Lucie and Indian River Counties in Florida with some major structural damage to buildings. Blinding rain continues to fall as Jeanne moves ashore. Localized flooding will likely occur as those rain bands swirl inland. This major hurricane has come ashore between Palm Beach and Vero Beach with a powerful force. Residents should continue to hunker down as this very serious hurricane swirls along.

Jeanne remains a huge concern now as it moves inland and moves through the Florida Peninsula overnight into Sunday morning. The threat for damaging winds, flooding rains, and power outages will continue along the track of Jeanne.

In the last 44 years, only 1961 witnessed more major hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin. There were seven major hurricanes that year. The most major hurricanes ever recorded in one season occurred in 1950: five Category 3s, two Category 4s and one Category 5. Incredibly, Jeanne will be the fourth hurricane to impact the state of Florida this season, and the fifth named storm to do so.

Jeanne raked the northwest Bahamas Saturday and Florida's south-central Atlantic coast is under the gun tonight. Damage was reported as the eyewall crossed Abaco Island in the northwest Bahamas this morning. A report from Settlement Point on the western tip of Grand Bahama Island indicated sustained winds of 79 mph and gusts to 97 mph as the eye passed by just to the north.

Hurricane warnings continue along Florida's east coast from Florida City to St. Augustine. Hurricane watches continue from St. Augustine, Fla. to Altamaha Sound, Ga. Hurricane watches have now been hoisted on a portion of Florida's gulf coast from the Suwanee River to Englewood.

It's important to keep in mind that a hurricane is not a "point." Hurricane-force winds extend 70 miles from the center of the storm and tropical-storm-force winds extend 205 miles. Frances's eye is gradually sliding inland along the Florida's Atlantic coast between northern Palm Beach County and southern Brevard County. There is a significant chance that Jeanne will landfall stronger than Frances did on Sept. 4-5.

Water rises from 6 to 9 feet can be expected near and to the north of where the eye makes landfall. Also, a storm surge of up to 7 feet is possible along the east side of Lake Okeechobee. Battering waves from 20 to 30 feet can also be expected along the aforementioned section of Florida's east coast, near and north of the eye's path. These battering waves may cause significant beach erosion along areas of the coast still recovering from Frances, which hit almost three weeks ago.

Jeanne's winds will be very destructive to mobile homes and cause significant damage to permanent structures from south of Daytona Beach to just north of West Palm Beach. Tree and power line damage will be most extensive from Jacksonville to West Palm Beach. Due to Jeanne's forward speed and initial category-3 strength, hurricane-force winds will likely penetrate well into central Florida Sunday morning. Inland hurricane wind warnings have been posted in Orlando, for example. Despite steady weakening once inland, the area of widespread downed trees and power lines will expand Sunday to also include much of the central and western portions of the Florida Peninsula.

The threat for tornadoes in particularly distinct rainbands will increase tonight and Sunday as Jeanne tracks over the Florida Peninsula. A few outer rainbands Saturday may generate an isolated tornado ahead of Jeanne.

As the circulation of Jeanne tracks across central and northern Florida Sunday, winds around the storm's west side may produce a water rise of 2 feet or higher along part of Florida's Gulf Coast, from Apalachicola to Naples. Waves from 6 to 10 feet can also be expected from Clearwater Beach southward to Naples.

Jeanne is expected to curl northward, then northeastward late Sunday into Monday, heading into Georgia and eventually the Carolinas by late Monday or Tuesday. Strong winds, heavy rainfall, and tornadoes will be the hazards in this area as Jeanne races northeastward.

Lisa had regenerated into a tropical storm well away from land masses in the south-central Atlantic. It is still expected to bend northward, roughly following a path similar to Karl's earlier this week.

[Liudmilla]

I'm sure there are many here who would like to send help and some form or another.....is there some place we can send such aid?

Milla

[Archimandrite Michael]

Several persons have asked in what manner/way they can send help for us here in Haiti. The best way is to send a check to us (or deposit it directly if you are on the east coast) to Wachovia Bank, 11075 North Tamiami Trail, Naples, Florida, 34108-6325. The name of the accouo t is "Orthodox Church in the Caribbean" and the account number is
200 401 377 5698. Please note that it is for flood/food relief. We will acknowledge all contributions. This is the best and fastest way to help. To send boxes to Haiti is extremely difficult and expensive.

We will appreciate whatever can be sent.

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   Father Michael