Salvation Army EDS teams continue assisting those impacted by recent storms
The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) teams have been a source of relief for the hundreds of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa individuals and families affected by recent tornadoes – and their work will now continue for the long haul.
In all three of the hardest-hit counties — Douglas and Washington Counties in Nebraska and Pottawattamie County in Iowa — Salvation Army disaster-relief teams have been in action the last three weeks, bringing food, hydration, household goods, and financial assistance to those impacted by the storms.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said that the tornado outbreak of Friday, April 26 spun off several significant, powerful twisters that damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses across the area. The NWS also said they were the strongest tornadoes to hit eastern Nebraska and western Iowa in almost 10 years. This marks an abnormally active start to the 2024 tornado season, which the NWS reports is often most active in June and July.
The Salvation Army will continue to support those affected by the spring storms for the long term. After nearly three weeks of response-and-recovery focus, The Salvation Army’s disaster-relief operation will now enter its next phase, long-term recovery, starting Wednesday, May 15.
The Salvation Army provides long-term recovery efforts in disaster-impacted communities; these efforts are undertaken in collaboration with local and state governmental entities. Long-term recovery addresses restoration and rebuilding efforts and includes the dispersal of emergency financial assistance and other support—all to help disaster survivors rebuild their lives.
In eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, in the wake of the recent tornadoes, long-term recovery will feature social-services caseworkers working directly with storm-impacted individuals and families to connect them with financial support, housing assistance, utility-bill assistance, material-goods assistance, and more.
As the long-term recovery phase begins, the focus of the Blair Disaster Assistance Center (at Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch, 3935 Hwy. 133) will shift to serving as a base of operations for Salvation Army social-services caseworkers, who will be able to assist those impacted by the storms. This week’s hours for caseworkers at the Blair center will be as follows:
- 9 a.m. - noon Wednesday
- Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. - noon and 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
The center’s hours for next week are in the process of being finalized and will be shared soon. A second eastern Nebraska base for Salvation Army caseworkers is planned for Elkhorn, with location and times TBD.
Those wishing to volunteer may do so by calling the volunteer hotline at 402-898-6000, and monetary donations can be made by clicking here: