The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) team is monitoring the flooding occurring due to Tropical Storm Imelda moving through Southeast Texas. Several units in the area have already provided service to those affected and additional EDS teams are on standby and prepared to deploy if needed.
“We have been in touch with our Salvation Army units around the state and have put several mobile feeding units on standby in anticipation of feeding needs in the affected communities,” said Alvin Migues, EDS Director for The Salvation Army in Texas. “We are in regular contact with local and state Emergency Management staff and are already coordinating response efforts where roads are now passable. In the coming days we expect to have a clearer idea of the particular areas that need help.”
The Salvation Army facilities outside the affected area are open for evacuees seeking shelter and a number of response operations have taken place in counties that have experienced flooding:
* Harris County – The Salvation Army of Houston provided meals, hydration and clean up kits from the Northwest Corps feeding unit to areas of Kingwood and along Westheimer & Hampstead. The mobile kitchen from Conroe has been roving Kingwood and surrounding areas providing hot meals to survivors and first responders.
* Orange County – EDS staff is coordinating with the Orange County Office of Emergency Management and the Police Chief of Vidor providing hydration and snacks to area shelters and first responders. More than 1,000 Salvation Army cleanup kits and a pallet of paper towels were provided to the Orange Disaster Assistance Group who is supporting community cleanup.
* Hardin County – 200 cleanup kits were delivered to the city of Kountze.
* Jefferson County – The Salvation Army of Beaumont has opened up its Boys & Girls Club gym as an overflow evacuation shelter for up to 100 people. Food and drinks have been delivered to the Beaumont City Hall for survivors and first responders.
* Galveston County – Meals and hydration have been provided by The Salvation Army to the Port Bolivar Fire Department as that area is currently without power. Disaster support teams have been moving relief supplies (cleanup kits, MRE’s, hygiene kits) into the cities of Winnie, Stowell and Anahuac, along with snacks and hydration.
* Montgomery County – The Salvation Army of Conroe is providing meals, hydration and snacks to the Bull Sala Community Center in New Caney and sheltered 243 individuals who were evacuated due to flooding.
As of 9/20/19 The Salvation Army in Texas has supplied 1,955 meals, 4,840 snacks and drinks, 1,200 cleanup kits and 500 hygiene kits.
“The Salvation Army warehouse in Beaumont is in an ideal location to provide essential supplies to the affected area. We are making arrangements to ship cots, blankets, hygiene products and other bulk supplies there in preparation for distribution,” said Migues. “Our volunteers have been put on alert and we will begin moving additional people and equipment into the region as soon as it is safe to do so and we have completed our assessment of the situation. The Salvation Army is already working in many of these communities and we will continue to serve residents in need.”
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
