More than 150 Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers help in Florida cleanup

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SARASOTA, Fla. – More than 150 Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers have been making quick work of hurricane damage in the Sarasota area.

Chainsaw crews have been especially busy sawing away trees knocked down when Hurricane Ian blew ashore on September 28.

“We’ve had great big tree jobs, roof tarping jobs, mud-outs,” said Georgia Disaster Relief Director Dwain Carter. “We’ve been here two weeks, and we’re looking at at least one more week, possibly into the next one to finish up our work in the area we were assigned.”

Georgia’s Disaster Relief crews have been working in communities some 30 miles north of Fort Myers which took the brunt of the hurricane’s 150 mph winds and a tidal surge reported at up to 12 feet. Most of Florida felt the impact.

Disaster Relief crews offer their services free of charge to full their mission of bringing hope, help and healing to the hurricane survivors.

Residents and snowbirds along the swath of Florida's southwest coast that took a direct hit are bracing for a recovery that could take months.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said Florida will need about $33 billion in emergency aid from the federal government to recover from damages caused by the hurricane.

Rubio said that is only an initial assessment of what will be needed. He cautioned the total is likely to grow.

The Republican senator said the Army Corps of Engineers needs more than $12 billion to help repair shorelines, dredge navigation channels and increase coastal resilience.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will need $10 billion, Rubio said, to help families with temporary housing and cleanup costs, plus food, water and prescriptions.

And the Department of Agriculture will need $3 billion to cover the cost of lost crops and trees, including the citrus groves the state is best known for.

Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers don't affix a dollar amount to their work.

"We just want to give people the realization that they have  a God who loves them," said MaryAnn Croome of Sandersville, Ga. "We are just trying to be God’s hand and feet and show His love.”