Job 38:1-2, 4a: "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?...Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?'"
In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, causing $90 billion of damage. The powerful Category 4 storm destroyed 80% of the island’s crops, started the longest blackout in U.S. history, and led to over 3,000 deaths. Yet, it was just one of three major hurricanes to hit Puerto Rico in the last seven years, and climate scientists expect more to come.
In 2022, United Methodist pastor and videographer Ryan Grace went to the island to see how Methodist volunteers and churches were working to rebuild after the storm. Ryan and his wife, Mariellyn, a West Ohio staff member, met with church and local leaders and began to see that many people were not just trying to rebuild Puerto Rico, but to make it stronger. A Methodist camp high in the interior mountains had replaced its roofs and buried their new electric cables. The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico had converted their conference center into a solar-powered shelter for future storms. A local farmer started using green techniques to grow organic foods while incorporating terraced crops as a natural buffer against future mudslides. Homeowners and church leaders celebrated the thousands of houses that had been rebuilt.
Out of the whirlwind of Hurricane Maria, the people of Puerto Rico recognized that climate change is a matter of life and death. Together, they are seeking to create a more sustainable future for themselves and their families. Out of the Whirlwind: Disaster Response in Puerto Rico explores the damage inflicted by just one disaster, examines the socioeconomic conditions that contributed to the human toll, and challenges us to consider the global implications of rising temperatures that make extreme weather events more common and more severe. The documentary tells just a few of the island’s stories…and invites us all to learn lessons from the resilient people who have worked so hard to rebuild their lives.
The 'Out of the Whirlwind' documentary, which focuses on hurricanes, disaster response, and climate change in Puerto Rico, is now available to churches and other groups. Contact mgrace@wocumc.org for more information.