This article was featured in the July 2022 edition of The Baptist Courier. 

I spent my summers at my Meamaw and Granddaddy’s house in Mississippi. They had a garden that felt like the size of a city block. Watermelon, squash, tomatoes, butterbeans, black eyed peas, okra, carrots, and corn grew in abundance in their backyard. The summers were filled with delicious fresh produce. As I got older, I began to realize that through the canning process the summer harvest made its way to our fall and winter dining table. My grandparents wasted nothing and prepared for everything.

Just as my grandparents used the summer harvest to prepare for the dormant months, we need to take the summer to prepare for hurricane season. Take time this month to prepare your family emergency plan, pack a disaster supply kit and talk to your family about what to do in the event of a storm. Locate important insurance policies, review your evacuation route, and make a list of emergency contacts. It is important to remember, hurricanes and tropical storms threaten all of South Carolina. The more we do to prepare now allows us to respond quickly when disasters strike. I am excited to serve South Carolina Baptists as we prepare and respond together to disasters.

-Susan Peugh, Director, South Carolina Baptist Disaster Relief