Officially, tornado season just began on April 1. However, it seems like the season decided to make an early appearance. By April 1, more than 400 tornadoes had been reported and more than 300 confirmed tornados touched down across the country. Totals are still unknown for the storms that hit much between March 31 and April 2.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center, between March 1 and March 3, there were more than 450 reports of damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes spanning from Texas all the way through western Pennsylvania, and the western Carolinas, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center.
SVdP’s Disaster Services Corporation (DSC) is monitoring the unmet needs of SVdP Councils in 15 states where 32 deaths have been reported from this deadly round of storms. DSC is providing technical assistance, training, rapid response grants, gift cards, and hygiene kits as requested by the impacted Councils (a full report will follow in next week’s Gazette).
Elizabeth Disco-Shearer, CEO of DSC, is in Tennessee this week meeting with Vincentian leadership to learn about ongoing recovery projects, as well as local authorities on current tornadic activity providing guidance and connecting on long range recovery plans for the most recent weather activity.
Elizabeth will be traveling to Mississippi after next week to meet with the SVdP Council in Jackson to determine what kind of support DSC can offer, provide training, guidance, and discussions on long-term recovery projects for the deadly tornadoes that hit in late March.
Please pray for the Vincentians who are enduring so much tragedy in these impacted areas. To learn more about our other projects visit: www.svdpdisaster.org.
