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Red Cross Responds to Tornadoes in Middle Tennessee
Christopher Clancy, Special to RedCross.org
Saturday, April 08, 2006 — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As tornadoes and severe thunderstorms swept through Middle Tennessee Friday, the Nashville Area chapter of the American Red Cross excused itself from Mayor Bill Purcell’s Homeland Security Drill to begin an immediate response to the real-life disaster.
“Our lead volunteers and staff were all here at the Red Cross, staffing the Disaster Operations Center (DOC), just as they would be in a live disaster,” Nashville Area Red Cross CEO Colleen Zakrewsky said referring to the exercise. “We evacuated to the basement during the tornado warning, then came back to the DOC and began responding to the storm damage immediately.”
This is the second time in less than a week tornadoes have had a deadly impact on the State of Tennessee. As the Red Cross continues responding in northwestern Tennessee, its Nashville Area chapter has opened three shelters in the affected central part of the state – in Goodlettsville, Gallatin, and Hendersonville. Each shelter has a 150-person capacity. The Red Cross will open more shelters as needed. Mental health counselors are available in all three shelters to provide mental and emotional support and help people cope with this tragedy.
The Nashville Area Red Cross, which serves 10 counties in Middle Tennessee, already has served nearly 850 snacks and meals and will continue feeding operations for as long as necessary. It will be setting up outreach and service centers where other relief items will be provided, based on need.
Seven Red Cross emergency response vehicles are en route from neighboring states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.
Several local animal shelters and clinics have offered to board pets to those affected free of charge.
At the Red Cross shelter in Hendersonville, volunteers have streamed in. Many local residents have contacted the Red Cross to offer assistance in this response effort. Those interested are advised to visit
www.nashvilleredcross.org to complete an online volunteer form. Volunteer training will be offered in the days to come and updates on training opportunities will be on the chapter's Web site.
The last tornado response in middle Tennessee took place April 16, 1998. Some employees and volunteers from the chapter have been busy this week assisting survivors of last Sunday's tornadoes in the northwestern portion of the state where 24 people were killed.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Midwest ice storms, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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