(ENS) Episcopal Churches appear to have escaped major damage from El Niño's lashing storms along the West Coast of the United States and in Latin America. But thousands of dollars in aid are being funnelled through church agencies to assist victims of this winter's vicious storms.

During the past four months-and especially in February-El Niño-influenced storms have wreaked havoc along the West Coast, causing an estimated $500 million damage in 40 California counties which have been declared federal disaster areas because of floods, mudslides and collapsed roads.

The Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief has already released $50,000 to dioceses in California, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Future appeals are expected as officials calculate long-term damages, according to Nancy Marvel, director of grants for the fund. "Each year we are responding to more than $1 million in requests for natural disasters around the world," Ms Marvel said. "We also find that it is often four to five weeks from the time a disaster is seen in the headlines to the time a diocese requests assistance from the fund." Ms Marvel said more requests for emergency aid are expected before the end of spring.

El Niño is a rapid, dramatic warming of the sea-surface temperature in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The cyclical weather pattern repeats every few years and alters weather conditions for many months in areas thousands of miles from the source. Peruvian fishermen named the weather phenomenon El Niño after the Christ child because its affects typically peak in December. The weather pattern can cause unusually heavy rains in some areas and severe drought in other regions.

West Coast reports damage

One of the first grant requests came from the Diocese of Los Angeles, where Bishop Frederick Borsch reported that more than 14 congregations had experienced some damage. "We are now just beginning to realize how wide the scope of damage is to our churches and more importantly to our people from this latest wave of El Niño-driven storms." The PB's Fund responded with a $25,000 emergency grant and is working with diocesan officials to confirm damage and estimate future requests, Ms Marvel said.

Dioceses throughout California also were being contacted for reports of damage, although no additional requests had been filed, Ms Marvel said. "It may be weeks or months before we see requests as dioceses assess their needs."

South America hit hard

Churches in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru also appealed for assistance through Church World Service (CWS), the international relief agency coordinated by the National Council of Churches. "El Niño is taking an unusually heavy toll on Latin America, with heavy rains and flooding common in some areas," according to the Revd Rodney Page, executive director of CWS. In Bolivia, an early February storm caused a landslide that killed at least 40 people, he reported. Continuous heavy rains in Ecuador also caused major destruction in many provinces, in some areas sweeping away entire communities with flooding and mudslides, killing hundreds, according to CWS reports. In rural areas, flooding also has caused illness, such as cholera, typhoid fever, stomach ailments and other maladies. Farming, manufacturing and other occupations also have been ruined, meaning long-term devastation is likely, CWS said. The Presiding Bishop's Fund authorized a $10,000 emergency grant to coordinate efforts with CWS, Marvel said.

Episcopal Church in Peru needs help

Julio Montoya, vicar general of the Asociacion de la Iglesia Anglicana Episcopal del Peru, reported that more than 56,270 families have lost their homes and 130 people have been killed this winter by El Niño storms. Mr Montoya, who wrote to Ms Marvel in February, also reported that an estimated 56 percent of agricultural production has been damaged. Peru also has suffered an estimated $2 billion in commercial damage, he said. The Episcopal Church in Peru, along with Roman Catholics and other denominations, "have given everything according to their possibilities," he said. The Presiding Bishop's Fund authorized an emergency grant of $15,000.

Scientists studying the El Niño storms said recently that even though the West Coast seems to have been spared recently, the worst could be yet to come.

"The fat lady hasn't sung yet," said Michael McPhaden of the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle in published reports.