Disaster Team Deploys to Mississippi
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Dear Friend,
On the evening of March 24, a powerful tornado cut a devastating path of at least 170 miles across Mississippi and Alabama. Tragically, these communities lost over two dozen lives as the tornado obliterated homes and buildings in its wake. It traveled through Amory, Mississippi, a small town of 7,316 residents situated in the northeastern corner of Mississippi, near the Alabama border. Few buildings remained unscathed, with many requiring extensive repairs.
The 70 mph tornado left downed power lines, uprooted trees, and pieces of roofing and siding throughout the streets of Amory. The town has been operating without clean drinking water as the city’s water treatment plant was directly hit. The people who have lived in the small community their whole lives say they've never seen anything quite like the destruction they're facing now.
Thankfully, there were no fatalities within the Amory town limits, however many residents are displaced, managing numerous injuries, and working to salvage their homes and personal items. According to Police Chief Nicholaus Weaver, “All of the residential buildings in the town have been searched and found clear. Now, it’s about the cleanup. It’s going to be a long process.”
WHAT WE ARE DOING:
Project Tasks & Activities:
Inspiritus volunteer teams will help with debris removal & chainsawing wherever needed most in Amory, with priority on assisting those who are the most vulnerable, families with children, seniors, veterans, and especially low-income households.
We are also deploying our WOW Cart (from Waterstep) to provide purified water to residents & responders, as needed.
Teams will conduct rapid home needs assessments, before providing free clean-up, debris removal, and chainsaw services. Our teams will also be prepared to help deploy spontaneous volunteers to assist with home debris removal jobs, as needed.
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Projected Outcomes:
Providing chainsaw & debris removal services to communities as needed/available
Ensuring Access to Inspiritus’ WOW Cart/Water Purification system
Providing Free Home Needs Assessments
Support Individuals Impacted by the Disaster
Community Benefit:
Inspiritus is working to build local disaster response capacities, while also providing direct services to survivors.
Capacity Building: Inspiritus is partnering with local emergency and city/county officials to build local disaster response capacity, as needed.
Direct Services: Inspiritus staff and volunteers are providing home needs assessments and debris removal services, along with emotional care to bring safety and peace of mind to homeowners requesting assistance. We are directly providing home assessments and debris removal (including chainsawing) to homes and public spaces. We anticipate our services will be able to help 100+ individuals within 2 weeks from the time we responded.
Spiritual & Emotional Care: Volunteers will be accompanying survivors as they navigate one of the most difficult tragedies and challenges of their lives. In this accompaniment, we walk alongside each individual we come in contact with, helping them to tap into the resilience within themselves. Prayer and spiritual encouragement is often greatly appreciated by many survivors and Inspiritus volunteers often provide this comforting and empowering form of care, when it is welcomed. Hope and hugs are often powerfully strengthening for survivors during their darkest hours.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
As things develop, we will keep you updated on the needs for this Response operation. In the meantime, you can learn more about Inspiritus' Disaster Relief efforts and the ways you can get involved by clicking the button below.
Please join us in prayer for those impacted by this tragic disaster.
Sincerely,
Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus
