Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Downingtown church reopens nearly 5 years after Hurricane Ida flooding

nbcphiladelphia.com · 10h · first reportShare

Nearly five years after remnants of Hurricane Ida severely flooded Messiah Lutheran Church in Downingtown, Chester County, congregants returned Sunday to celebrate the church’s grand reopening. The morning included bells processing into the rebuilt sanctuary, a dedication of the renewed space and a ribbon cutting marking the end of a yearslong rebuilding effort. “We dedicate ourselves and these renewed spaces to your praise and to your mission,” the congregation heard during the service. Floodwaters from remnants of Hurricane Ida ravaged the church nearly five years ago, leaving parts of the building inundated with water and mud. “Imagine up to here. That’s how high the water was,” Carol Reiner, a church council member in charge of fellowship, said while showing the height of the flooding. The church’s organ, instruments and soundboard were a total loss. About 220,000 gallons of water had to be pumped from the property. The church’s insurance did not include flood coverage, but FEMA pr