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Disaster coordinator recalls Katrina

By Lilla Marigza
Aug. 1, 2025 | Bay St. Louis, Miss. (UM News)

The Rev. Terry Lynn Hilliard worked as a disaster relief coordinator following Hurricane Katrina. She also directed UMCOR’s response from Gulfside Assembly. She talks about how the tragedy touched the hearts of both survivors and volunteers. Video by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

E. Dwight Franklin helps with the gutting of his parents’ home in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina. Virginia Tech student Ivy Gorman (background) was part of a team from her school working through the Louisiana United Methodist Storm Recovery Center during their spring vacation. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

The Rev. Terry Lynn Hilliard was the pastor of Pass Christian First United Methodist Church in Mississippi when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005. Hilliard and her husband had two small children at the time and their parsonage was destroyed.

Despite these challenges, Hilliard stepped up to become the United Methodist disaster response coordinator for the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. She also directed the construction of the volunteer center at Gulfside Assembly, which was vital to recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina. She reflects on how the storm touched the hearts of survivors and volunteers.

Marigza is a multimedia producer for UM News. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.

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