After heavy storms, tornadoes, and flooding in several areas of the U.S. last week, World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) is deploying volunteers to address early response needs among those who were most affected.
After heavy storms, tornadoes, and flooding in several areas of the U.S. last week, World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) is deploying volunteers to address early response needs among those who were most affected.
The week of severe weather included rare twin EF4 tornadoes in Pilger, Nebraska, where two people died, 40-50 homes were damaged or destroyed among the town’s 350 residents, and a federal disaster was declared.
World Renew DRS Regional Managers Mark and Carol Martin are in the Pilger area this week to provide early response coordination with local officials and other volunteer organizations that are reacting to the disaster.
“We plan on travelling the entire tornado path before Sunday to assess the complete situation,” Mark Martin said on Thursday. “They were on the ground for 30 miles, from Norfolk, Nebraska, to about Wakefield. Several towns were affected, but Pilger is the worst hit.”
The Martins also mentioned that the tornadoes had a tremendous impact on agriculture in the area, both in loss of hundreds of head of cattle, horses, and other farm animals as well as in crop loss.
“The fields are littered with debris that must be picked up soon or the harvest will be severely impacted this fall,” Carol said. “There are also flood and flash-flood warnings in Sioux City, Council Bluffs, and the North Platte area of western Nebraska.”
Destructive weather also affected towns and cities to the north on Monday and early Tuesday, causing damage and flooding to land and homes in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota. Regional Managers Rich and Pat Grasman are in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota this week in response to flooding along the Rock River.
The couple is providing early response coordination with local officials and other volunteer organizations. They have also made initial contacts with Christian Reformed and Reformed Church in America congregations who they will follow up with when they arrive later this week as well as assess the need for a World Renew DRS rapid response team in the area.
To the south, some locations in the Florida panhandle received more than a foot of rain last week after getting over two feet of rain in late April and early May. The deluge put dozens of homes underwater again, forcing evacuations from low-lying areas. World Renew DRS has a Rapid Response Team in the area to help homeowners remove soaked belongings, remediate mold, and make basic repairs.
