• Leslie Galban

Southeast Texas Flood Evacuees Overwhelmed by The Salvation Army's Support

Dallas, Texas (March 21, 2016) – Wade and Katrina West woke up at 5am last week to water rising in their home. By 7am they were being evacuated out of the high water by a large US Army truck.  Grabbing only two trash bags of belongings, and hoisting their children over their shoulders, Wade and Katrina were leaving their home not knowing when they would be allowed back in and what damage they would find once they returned.  After evacuating, the West family connected with relatives in the area and began praying and hoping for the best.

After receiving assistance, Katrina shared with disaster workers and volunteers, “We are overwhelmed by the support The Salvation Army has shown our community.”
“We’ve never needed The Salvation Army’s help before--we had no idea it would be this easy! Being flooded, we only got out with our kids, a couple of trash bags of stuff we could easily grab, and what was in our pockets.” Wade said.
Katrina was nodding in agreement, “This is our first time dealing with The Salvation Army and it’s been a blessing, they made it easy for us to receive assistance.  We had no idea what we were going to do, and The Salvation Army was here to help.”

When disasters strike in Texas, The Salvation Army deploys teams across the state to provide relief to local residents and first responders.  For the Southeast Texas Floods, The Salvation Army Texas Disaster Response Teams have deployed from Divisional Headquarters and Emergency Disaster Services staff in Dallas, Bryan/College Station, Dallas/Fort Worth, Conroe, Houston NW, Pasadena, Newton County, and Orange.  Other response teams have been notified and are on stand-by ready to serve if needed.

Since the flooding began, The Salvation Army has served 4,981 meals, 10,709 drinks, and 8,628 snacks in the area and handed out 652 food boxes. Additionally, case managers have met with 447 families and have assisted 1,298 individuals and distributed $33,300 in gift cards to help cover immediate expenses. Clean up kits have been given to 1,613 residents who have been cleared to return to their homes and begin recovery.

Salvation Army Emergency Assistance and Services can be found at:

Salvation Army Assistance Center & Fixed Feeding Site
Deweyville High School 171 TX-12 Deweyville, TX
Hours of Operation: 9am to 4pm daily
Services Provided: Food & Hydration and Emergency Cleaning Supplies, Family Food Boxes, Emergency Financial Assistance, Hygiene Kits and packing boxes.

Salvation Army Assistance Center & Fixed Feeding Site
The Salvation Army of Orange 1950 MLK Dr Orange, TX
Hours of Operation: 9am to 4pm
Services provided: Food & Hydration, Emergency Cleaning Supplies, Family Food Boxes, Emergency Financial assistance, Hygiene Kits and packing boxes. This location will also accept donated clothing.

Donations to support the ongoing Salvation Army response efforts can be made by texting STORM to 51555, or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY, or online at give.salvationarmyusa.org/texasfloodsandtornados

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.