In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s utter devastation, Rev. Franklin Graham has led extensive efforts to restore the impacted communities, particularly in the Asheville, North Carolina area where his father, Bill Graham, was born.
Graham illustrated the extent of the damage to the area, emphasizing that it was far worse than what is portrayed on TV. “I think it’s much worse than what people see on television,” he said. “The smells and so forth, you don’t get that through a television set; the filth that people are having to live in and work in and try to survive in.”
Graham has deployed his faith-based charity, Samaritan’s Purse, to extend aid and contribute to clean up efforts. “We work all over the world, and then all of a sudden, now you’re working in your own backyard,” he said. “But I think the biggest story about this is neighbors helping neighbors. That’s the American spirit, and it’s always been that way in a crisis.”
The prominent evangelistic figure touched on claims that federal resources had been strained due to illegal immigration. “When you have a situation like this, the government is always blamed for coming slow,” he said. “I’ve heard that the FEMA money is not there because it was given to migrants. I don’t know about that, but the state of North Carolina has done an incredible job so far with the Department of Transportation trying to open up roads.”
The Christian Tribune recently reported other comments from Graham highlighting the efforts of his organization. “This building behind us represents hundreds of thousands of people that have lost homes, businesses, friends, loved ones,” he said. “It is going to take an army of volunteers and people to respond, and at Samaritan’s Purse we want to always respond in Jesus’ name. We want people to know that God loves them, that God cares for them.”
Graham continued, “He added, “Sometimes when a storm like this comes, people think, ‘Well, maybe God is mad at us, maybe this is His judgment?’ No. God loves us. How do I know that? Because the Bible tells us that God loves us and cares for us.” The prominent evangelist continued, “Yes, there are storms in life, but God will take us through those storms if we put our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.”
The reverend also explained how one of the most impacted areas, Buncombe County, where his father was born, “has just been devastated. This is where I grew up, near my father’s home.” He further noted, “I’m without power, and so much of our state is without power up here in these mountains. And, and when you look at the damage, it’s, you just wonder how anybody survived. And yes, they’re, they estimate that the death toll could maybe climb as high as 1,000. I hope that’s not the case, but I think we’re getting ready for it just in case it is.”
Featured image credit: By Paul M. Walsh – Billy and Franklin Graham, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4934708