2008 Southern U.S. Tornadoes Take Heavy TollThe rash of violent tornadoes that swept across the south-central U.S. this past week is the deadliest U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In all, 55 people so far have been confirmed killed in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Indiana. With 67 tornadoes in all, it was the most prolific outbreak of tornadoes since May 1985. The Associated Press assessed the damage as follows: ALABAMA: At least four people were killed in northern Alabama. An apparent tornado damaged eight homes in Walker County, and a pregnant woman suffered a broken arm when a trailer home was tossed by the storm, according to the county's emergency management director. As many as 500 homes were damaged statewide. ARKANSAS: At least 13 people were killed, including a couple and their 11-year-old daughter in Atkins, about 60 miles northwest of Little Rock. Their home took a "direct hit" from the storm, an emergency official said. Statewide, at least 133 people were injured. INDIANA: A tornado cut a four-mile path southwest of Bloomington, blowing the roofs off several houses and downing trees and power lines. KENTUCKY: At least seven people were killed, including a western Kentucky couple in their mobile home with their adult daughter. Near the Tennessee line, the victims included a woman and her 2-year-old grandson. MISSISSIPPI: A twister shredded warehouses in an industrial park in the city of Southaven, just south of Memphis. A tornado caused severe damage to the Caterpillar plant in Oxford. At least 18 people were injured statewide.  TENNESSEE: At least 31 people were killed, including a 70-year-old man whose mobile home was leveled in Macon County. A fire erupted at a natural gas pumping station northeast of Nashville that was struck by the storms. Twenty-six students had to be rescued from wrecked dormitories at Union University in Jackson, and 51 students were taken to a hospital. Wind collapsed the roof of the Sears store at a mall.
The storm also brought renewed flooding and evacuations to northern Indiana, where survivors of January flooding were forced from their homes again by rising water from the Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers. Reformed Church World Service ResponseSince the Reformed Church in America has no churches that have been directly affected, Reformed Church World Service will be working through our partner, Church World Service. CWS is currently fulfilling two requests for material resources. - 200 CWS Blankets, 200 CWS Clean-up Buckets, and 1,000 CWS Hygiene Kits to the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mount View, Ark.
- 200 CWS Blankets and 500 CWS Hygiene Kits to CWS Emergency Response Program domestic roundtable partner Adventist Community Services in Clinton, Ark.
Given the intense damage caused by this storm, CWS anticipates working actively in states where tornadoes and flooding have struck. The disaster is still in its rescue and relief phase, and needs are just now beginning to come to light. Please remember in your prayers all those who have lost family and loves ones to these storms or whose lives have in other ways been impacted. Contributions to support relief and recovery efforts (designated "USA Disasters") can be sent to Reformed Church World Service, P.O. Box 19381, Newark, NJ 07195-1938 or, in Canada, to Regional Synod of Canada, 1985 Beke Rd., R.R. #4, Cambridge, ON N1R 5S5. To donate by credit card, click on the Make a Donation button or call the RCA Michigan Regional Center at (800) 968-3943.  Photos courtesy of Disaster News Network
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