After heavy rains and flooding in southeastern Mexico Oct. 5-7, more than 3,500 members in eight stakes were temporarily evacuated from their homes, and many of them found refuge in local meetinghouses.

No members or missionaries lost their lives in the flooding, although some 730 homes of members in the states of Veracruz, Tabasco, Hidalgo and Puebla were damaged or destroyed.

The storm dropped up to 12 inches of water in 48 hours. Some 12 meetinghouses were damaged by the flooding. The heavy rains followed a week of raining from a tropical depression related to Hurricane Floyd.

Local Church funds were used to purchase relief supplies for members, and some $80,000 in humanitarian funds were used to purchase food commodities for distribution to non-members. These food supplies were placed in boxes for family use by members in Mexico City, Monterrey and Tampico. The boxes were taken by the Church to the affected areas and distributed by local priesthood leaders. About 4,000 boxes of food were distributed.

Five semi-loads of commodities with another 7,200 family food boxes and 2,000 Relief Society quilts were shipped the following week from Salt Lake City to Mexico for distribution.

Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen of the Seventy and president of the Mexico North Area said members in Monterrey and Tampico donated clothing and food and then worked "like a beehive, sorting clothing, separating the food, packing boxes for babies, children, teenagers, and men and women. The response of the Saints has been fantastic."

"Members responded marvelously," said Elder Carl B. Pratt of the Seventy and president of the Mexico South Area. "They have gathered all kinds of foodstuffs and water to send to the areas most seriously damaged. Here in the capital city, there has been a very good response of members in donating food and clothing. The materials were collected at the Church's Benemerito School where the students from the Zarahemla stake helped pack the food into cartons sufficient for one family for one week. The help is going to members and non-members alike. Those serving with [the Church's] temporal affairs are doing a marvelous job supporting the priesthood leaders and assisting both members and non-members," said Elder Pratt.

During the flooding, regional and local welfare committees encouraged members to leave their homes and seek safety, and, afterwards, provided emergency supplies and helped assess damage, said Garry R. Flake, director of Humanitarian Services, who traveled to Mexico Oct. 8-11, and observed the situation firsthand.

"Church leaders and members throughout Mexico responded rapidly, helping Church members and their neighbors, and cooperated with government officials," said Brother Flake. "Families housed in meetinghouses were fed, children were cared for, and volunteer crews assisted Church members and their neighbors in clean-up efforts."

By Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 9-10, Area Authority Seventies and other leaders had personally visited the four affected states.

Bishop Mario Alarcón Mendoza of the Totolapa Ward of the Poza Rica Mexico Stake, said half the members in his ward had to flee from their flooded homes for safety on Oct. 5.

"He was a true shepherd to his flock," said Brother Flake. "When he realized how rapidly his ward area was being inundated, he and his ward welfare committee [priesthood leaders and the Relief Society presidency] went from house to house urging members and neighbors to immediately seek safer areas. The meetinghouse was opened and by early evening, there were 144 people inside. However, the water continued to rise and as it flooded into the meetinghouse, the people realized they had to seek safer areas.

"A rope was tied over the rising waters, stretching from the meetinghouse to the corner of the grounds, and the brethren evacuated the children, then the sisters," said Brother Flake. "It soon became dark and the water became waist high. All but 15 adults were taken to safety [before the water became too high to make further evacuations]. The water continued to rise so the remaining adults tied a ladder to the building and climbed to the roof.

"With no food and only a few pieces of plastic sheeting to protect them from the driving rain, they spent the long night on the roof. They sang hymns, and near daybreak, Bishop Alarcón offered a prayer that the rain would cease 'so we could be reunited with our families.'

"The next evening, after spending 26 hours on the roof, they walked out through chest-deep water to be with their worried families. Sister Alarcon, waiting without knowledge of her husband's survival, said that the hymn, 'Come, Come, Ye Saints,' kept coming to mind with the refrain 'All is well, all is well.' "

When Bishop and Sister Alarcón returned home, they found it had been completely covered by flood waters and their small restaurant and water purification business were destroyed.

"All the material things we lost don't matter," Bishop Alarcón told Brother Flake. "What matters is that the Lord loves me and my family, and He gave His life for us."

The Alarcóns began caring for some 30 others who were temporarily back in meetinghouse.

On Oct. 5, a ward member donated a white shirt to the bishop and Sister Alarcón found a Sunday dress in clothing that had been shipped in the previous day from members in Tampico.

Expressions of gratitude and tears were shed in appreciation for the help the Church gave," said Brother Flake.

Another 15 homes of members were destroyed by a recent earthquake on the western coast in the state of Oaxaca. These families from the Puerto Escondido Branch who were displaced from their homes also received assistance.