Faith During Hard Times - Bible Verses for Those Facing Natural Disasters [Pray for Taal]

Number of evacuees due to Taal Volcano's unrest now at over 40,000

Whether you or a loved one is facing a natural disaster or coping with its aftermath, here are some Bible verses offering comfort, hope and reminders of God's loving care. 

For the more than 500,000 residents of the exclusion zone around the Philippines’ Taal volcano, which began erupting on Sunday, the coming days will be a tense wait to see if the eruption will intensify—threatening lives and property—or sputter out. If activity ramps up, Taal is capable of producing all three of the deadliest volcanic hazards: tsunamis, mudflows, and superheated flows of gas and debris. Volcanoes are notoriously unpredictable, but there are seismic signs and others that geologists will be watching for indications of what this one will do.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." Psalm 91:2

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Corinthians 5:1

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty. Psalm 93:4

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7:25

he number of people forced to leave their homes due Taal Volcano’s unrest rose to more than 40,000, according to disaster response officials.

As of Wednesday noon, 43,681 people are taking shelter in 217 evacuation centers in Batangas and Cavite, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The council also reported that 53,019 people have been affected by the volcano’s eruption.

However, Brig. Gen. Kit Teofilo, commander of the Joint Task Force Taal, told reporters Wednesday that 82,068 people are now taking shelter in evacuation centers.

Michael Salalima, Metro Manila Development Authority's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management focal person said over CNN Philippines' The Source on Wednesday that evacuees still need water, meals and beddings.

Click this link for the list of groups accepting donations as well as how to contact them.

On Tuesday, NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal urged the local government of Batangas to ban residents from returning home following reports that some locals defied orders to evacuate amid Taal Volcano's activity.

However, Teofilo said "less than a thousand" still remain in the 14-kilometer danger zone, while several others attempt to return to their homes out of fear of being looted.

"Pabalikbalik kasi eh, minsan nailikas na, akala wala, biglang bumabalik so may nakakalusot na," he said.

[Translation: They come back and forth. Sometimes they've already been evacuated, but they suddenly return, so some pass through us.]

The police and the military has kept Talisay, one of the towns closest to Taal Volcano, off limits to people and will remain so until the volcano no longer poses a threat to public safety.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who is overall in-charge of calamity response, also said in a Tuesday briefing that the government will bar people from going back to the island where Taal Volcano stands. He said the move has the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology chief Renato Solidum noted Wednesday that there should not be residents in the Taal Volcano Island as it is a “permanent danger zone.”

Phivolcs, in its latest bulletin, said that Taal Volcano is emitting less ash and steam, but they are still warning against a dangerous or hazardous explosion "within hours or days." Taal's activity may last from days to several months, based on its eruption history.

Taal Volcano began acting up on Sunday afternoon. The following day, a "weak" lava fountain also gushed out of the volcano in a magmatic eruption, state volcanologists said.