Roads were flooded, trees were down, offices closed early, torrents of rain fell and the winds blew but, remarkably, Episcopal people and properties in many areas came through relatively unscathed as Hurricane Floyd — a massive storm — traveled up the Eastern seaboard in mid-September. Reports were incomplete at press time, especially from hard-hit dioceses in North Carolina.

The progress of the storm created "the largest non-wartime evacuation ever" as people in the dioceses of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas "battened down the hatches" and evacuated or prepared to ride out the storm.

In North Carolina, state officials called flooding from Hurricane Floyd, which affected most of the eastern half of the state, the "worst natural disaster ever." Interstate 95, from the Virginia state line to as far south as Fayetteville, was flooded over in places, according to one television network.

A look at the results of the storm:

By Sept. 21, Jane Wynne, assistant to the bishop, said the diocese was "days away" from assessing damage because the rivers had not yet crested. She added that communication has not been re-established in all areas. The diocese knew that water had been in St. Thomas' Church, Windsor, and in St. James', Belhaven. Grace Church, Trenton, was surrounded by water but because the town was still evacuated, she did not know if water was actually within the church.

A large truck was rented to haul loads of relief and cleaning supplies to parishes and parishioners in flooded Rocky Mount and Tarboro. "People have been so kind, so wonderfully responsive," said the Rev. Kathleen Awbrey, Christian social ministries coordinator. Calvary Church, in downtown Tarboro, had the most damage, with four feet of water in the parish hall. The sanctuary was spared. "There is a horrendous need for assistance (in Tarboro)," she said. Ms. Awbrey said officials estimate a wait of six weeks before tap water will be usable.

In Rocky Mount, more than 20 families at the Church of the Good Shepherd lost all they had, as did three or four families at St. Andrew's. In nearby Wilson, St. Timothy's parishioners also suffered losses, and a tree fell onto the parish hall and office areas of the church.

Diocesan newspaper editor Carlyle Gravely said his diocese, "overall, was dealt a relatively small blow." The exception was in the city of Franklin, where the Blackwater River had reached 18 feet above flood stage on Sept. 20 — and had not yet crested. Emmanuel Church, in downtown Franklin, is in the flooded area. Mr. Gravely reported that since the church was unavailable for Sunday services, members met in small groups in family homes for worship and will, for the immediate future, meet and worship with the people of Franklin Presbyterian Church.

In Bound Brook, the floodwater stopped just two blocks from St. Paul's Church, said the Rev. Bob Ripson, assistant to the bishop, and three parish families were "wiped out completely." The diocese was awaiting information from St. Martin's, Bridgewater, another heavily flooded area, before requesting emergency grants from the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief to assist people in and around those two communities. As of Sept. 20, Bound Brook was still without electricity, water and other utility services.

Several families of Grace Church, Westwood, were evacuated and lost everything in their basements and first floors. The church is elevated and was completely dry, said Sutton Smith, wife of the rector.

Parishioners have worked in teams with members from New York, who were not affected, coming to help clean up. They also provided food and hot showers, washed clothes and, in some cases, provided shelter. The parish's youth coordinator, a contractor by profession, took charge of the parish's communication during the first days while driving from house to house with generators, sump pumps, bottled water and advice to homeowners.

The Rev. John Negrotto, rector of Holy Trinity, Hillsdale, is also a volunteer firefighter. He said, "Downtown got whopped." Some parishioners were flooded out and many people had water up to the second floor of their homes. Fr. Negrotto was in a rescue boat all evening Sept. 16, and helped rescue about eight families.

Reports from dioceses in Florida, and the dioceses of Atlanta, South Carolina, Upper South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine, indicate no significant damage. Other dioceses had not responded at the time of this writing.