When disaster strikes, faith communities respond. From local congregations to global institutions, organizations grounded in all the major faith traditions participate in disaster response and recovery. Increasingly, they also engage in disaster preparedness activities, especially pertaining to making their own houses of worship and other facilities resilient.
Hurricane Harvey provides a textbook example of the significant role faith communities play in disaster response and recovery, both in hands-on activity and in financial commitment. Hurricane Harvey also demonstrates the complexity of faith-based disaster response, and highlights the specific capacities and limitations faith communities bring to the table.
In this report, Texas Impact examines the role of faith communities in Hurricane Harvey response and recovery.