India Mormons make sacrifices to relieve flood victims

October annually brings typhoons and other severe storms to South Asia, and this year was no exception. The worst flooding in several decades devastated southern India during October, hitting the provinces of Karnakata and Andhra Pradesh particularly hard. More than 200 people were reported dead, and more than a million local residents had to take temporary refuge in state-run shelters and relief camps.

To help the victims, priesthood leaders in the area were eager to provide the needed assistance from the resources of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and also the willing efforts of the local Mormons. Accordingly, the first weekend after the storms abated, President Prasad Rao Gudey of the Hyderabad India District organized the members of the district to help. He was able to bring an entire bus load of priesthood holders to the city of Kurnool to assist those who had been impacted by the storms and flooding. Hyderabad is approximately four hours north of the flood zone, so the travel efforts were significant.

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