• Philip Burn

Central Texas Flooding and Storms Prompt Salvation Army Response

Photo: Salvation Army volunteers from Austin, Texas -- @SalArmyAustin -- head out to Onion Creek with their disaster canteen, ready to serve 200 meals.

Dallas, Texas (October 30, 2015) – Three tornado touchdowns in the Central Texas cities of Floresville, Dhanis, and San Marcos, along with widespread flooding, has again prompted immediate response from The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster teams.

Three mobile kitchens have been deployed to deliver meals, snacks and hydration, in addition to emotional and spiritual care, to survivors and first responders. The San Antonio Area Command/New Braunfels canteen is assisting with feeding at shelters that have been established by the Red Cross in the Seguin area where 40-50 homes have been reported as affected. The San Antonio Area Command/Kiwanis canteen is deploying to San Marcos to support the city shelter which is already housing 140 survivors, with more on the way. A second shelter is being established. The Austin Area Command is preparing to respond with the Williamson County canteen to the Onion Creek area of the city.

In addition to the obvious tornado threat another major concern is flooding and flash flooding. Rainfall totals have reached as high as 14” in some areas south of Austin and 6-8” in some areas in Travis County affecting the towns of San Marcos, Wimberley, Buda and the Onion Creek area, all of which are still recovering from previous floods.

The Texas EDS Warehouse is deploying a truckload of bulk distribution items including clean up kits, hygiene kits and bottled water to San Marcos.

In South Texas the McAllen Corps canteen has been responding to the hard hit town of San Perlita in Willacy County where flood waters had already affected a number of homes, businesses and commercial buildings. The additional rainfall today will only exacerbate this situation.

Salvation Army disaster staff and volunteers have only recently completed lengthy deployments assisting at wildfires and flooding in Central and South Texas. This has been a particularly tiring and taxing time for all concerned. Please be in prayer for Salvation Army teams providing continued assistance, and all of those affected.

To make a donation to support the ongoing work of The Salvation Army please call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or go to http://tsatx.org/floodandtornadorelief

If you are interested in learning more about The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) in Texas, or to become a local disaster volunteer, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

For the most up-to-date emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army in Texas, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow latest updates on Twitter @SalArmyTXEDS and Facebook at www.facebook.com/SalArmyTXEDS.

About The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services:
“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” While every disaster is unique and creates its own special needs, the core of The Salvation Army's disaster program consists of several basic services. And while these services address many of the typical needs of a disaster survivor, Salvation Army disaster relief is also flexible. Our services are adapted to the specific needs of individuals and communities and scalable according to the magnitude of the disaster.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
February 5, 2010