The Salvation Army Responds in the Bahamas, Prepares on the East Coast
After sitting over the Bahamas for nearly two full days, Hurricane Dorian is making its way up the US southeastern coast. The Category 5 storm left utter devastation in its wake - Bahamian officials say the damage was historically tragic. Upon daylight on Tuesday, news reports were indicating more than 13,000 homes destroyed. Major Clarence Ingram, Divisional Commander in the Bahamas, expresses concern that the impact may be even more devastating in Freeport because it is a major population Center, and nearly 7,000 of the affected residents are ages 65 or older.
The Salvation Army in the Bahamas is based in Freeport, and was on the ground serving people before and immediately after the storm. Teams were able to provide food and beverages for the shelters, as well as seeing to the emotional and spiritual needs of survivors. The teams are continuously assessing the situation to meet immediate needs as they present themselves.
In the United States, tropical storm-force winds are already hitting Florida, and current expectations are that North and South Carolina will sustain the most damage in the coming days. Here's what we are doing:
- An Incident Management Team has been activated and is in place.
- The Salvation Army is providing food and beverages for nearly 40 locations throughout the states.
- Three mobile feeding units have been activated with 14 more units on standby.
- Staff and volunteers are assembling flood clean up kits and packaging other necessary items.
The Salvation Army is also providing food, beverages and emotional and spiritual care to those affected by the storm in Florida and Georgia.
For more information on The Salvation Army's efforts, visit our National Emergency Disaster Services website.
The best way to assist survivors right now is to make a financial gift. This allows The Salvation Army to purchase needed items in bulk and spend the donations locally to stimulate the economy. At this time, we are not accepting individual in-kind donations.
Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)
Donate by mail: The Salvation Army, PO Box 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301
Designate ‘2019 Hurricane – Dorian’ on all checks