CRWRC Responds to Communities Hit by Deadly Tornadoes

In response to the race of tornadoes across the United States yesterday, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is sending regional disaster response managers to Harrisburg, Illinois, to assess damage and determine if immediate clean-up assistance is needed.

In response to the race of tornadoes across the United States yesterday, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is sending regional disaster response managers to Harrisburg, Illinois, to assess damage and determine if immediate clean-up assistance is needed.

Harrisburg suffered a deadly EF 4 tornado yesterday in which 13 people were killed and more than 100 injured. In addition, today’s dangerous weather has threatened nine million residents across Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio, and other locations.

CRWRC disaster managers Ed and Helen Mulder left for Harrisburg, Ill., early on Friday, March 2nd, on their way to Galveston, Texas, where they will spend three weeks furthering the organization’s response to Hurricane Ike which hit the Texas coast in 2008. In Harrisburg, the Mulders will make early damage assessments and coordinate with government and voluntary organizations.

”We are in continuing discussions with FEMA and National VOAD partners in order to determine how we can best send help,” says CRWRC Disaster Response Services (DRS) director Bill Adams. “The situation is unfolding across the entire Midwest and east central areas of the US, and we are preparing to respond as needed.”

More than 500 Illinois homes in a five county area were severely damaged or destroyed this week, with additional damage in Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, and Kansas, Adams added. Tornadoes were reported on the ground in Illinois again during the afternoon on Friday. In Alabama, CRWRC’s volunteer construction teams, who are repairing homes damaged by last April’s tornadoes, had to leave their work sites and take cover due to today’s new storms.

Members of the press wishing to interview CRWRC-DRS director Bill Adams regarding spring storms response, call cell 616-560-2782. For more information about CRWRC, call Beth DeGraff, media contact, at 616-648-7821 or 1-800-55-CRWRC (EST).