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Baptist relief crews in 5 states respond to deadly swath of tornadoes


ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–Southern Baptist Disaster Relief units in five states — Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and Mississippi — responded locally to severe storms and dozens of tornadoes that ripped through the eastern United States Nov. 10-11.

Mickey Caison, national coordinator for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, noted the scope of the unusual fall tornadoes, with as many as 70 reported in seven states.

“Typically a tornado is localized. It doesn’t affect a large area like a hurricane or a flood or an ice storm,” Caison said. He noted that most states — with the possible exception of Tennessee — still should be able to handle the needs with their own volunteers.

Cleanup operations in Tennessee were underway in Tipton, Anderson, Morgan, Cumberland, Coffee and Bedford counties, as well as at Union University in Jackson, according to Tennessee Baptist Convention Disaster Relief director Tim Bearden.

A Tennessee mobile kitchen is supporting the American Red Cross in Morgan County, and another unit is being deployed to support the Salvation Army in Coffee County. Roofing crews also are being deployed in Morgan County, Bearden said, and crisis intervention teams will be responding to three counties by Wednesday or Thursday.

Alabama also is deploying volunteers on a large scale. A mobile kitchen has opened in Carbon Hill, and approximately four chainsaw teams will begin work there Tuesday, Disaster Relief director Tommy Puckett reported. Another three chainsaw teams will start work in Cullman on Tuesday, and a feeding unit and four chainsaw teams are being sent to respond in Centre.

In Georgia, a mobile kitchen, communication unit and two chainsaw units are responding to tornado damage in Pickens County, based out of Cool Springs Baptist Church in Tate.

In Mississippi, a mobile kitchen and three chainsaw units have been activated to respond in the Columbus area.

In Ohio, a mobile kitchen and chainsaw team had been placed on alert to respond to tornadoes in the northwestern part of the state.

More than 25,000 trained volunteers currently are a part of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief network nationwide. The units generally are owned and operated by state conventions and local associations and coordinated nationally by the North American Mission Board.

For regular updates on Southern Baptist Disaster Relief responses, visit www.namb.net/dr.
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  • James Dotson