Salvation Army Emergency Disaster (EDS) teams in Southeast Texas are preparing to respond to heavy rain and flooding associated with Tropical Storm Imelda. Some areas have experienced as much as 30 inches of rain in the space of 24 hours and significant flooding has been reported throughout the region.
“We have six mobile feeding units prepared to respond in Southeast Texas with more units on standby,” said Kathy Clark, Associate Emergency Services Director for The Salvation Army in Texas. “We also have a Salvation Army field kitchen that has been supporting the work of volunteers in Orange, Texas for the last few months that is available with the capacity to produce up to 5,000 meals per day. We will be watching this developing situation very closely over the next 24 to 36 hours.”
On Thursday morning, The Salvation Army in Orange received a request to provide snacks and hydration at an Emergency Shelter set up at the North Orange Baptist Church where 62 individuals spent the night on Wednesday. In Galveston County, The Salvation Army shelter is open for anyone needing shelter from the storm and widespread flooding. “We had around 30 additional people stay in the shelter last night,” said Holly McDonald, Community Relations/Development Manager for The Salvation Army in Galveston County. “We will continue have an open door for anyone needing a dry, safe place to stay, including those who may need to evacuate their homes in neighboring communities.”
Many roads across Southeast Texas remain flooded at this time as rain continues to fall in the area. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will know better how and where we can provide service in the coming few days,” said Clark. “The Salvation Army will be ready to mobilize our trained emergency disaster services teams to meet both the practical and emotional needs of those affected by Tropical Storm Imelda.”
Financial donations can be made at helpsalvationarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY to support response efforts following Tropical Storm Imelda. For the latest information please go to www.disaster.salvationarmy.org<http://www.disaster.salvationarmy.org> and watch for regular updates on our social media pages at http://www.facebook.com/salvationarmytexas/>”>www.facebook.com/salvationarmytexas/<_tmp_url_1_>; and http://www.twitter.com/salarmytx>”>www.twitter.com/salarmytx<_tmp_url_2_>;
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
