Despite being more than 800 miles away from the path of the deadly storm, metro Atlantans wasted no time Tuesday coming to the aid of Oklahoma tornado victims.
Volunteer groups mobilized, companies pledged monetary donations, and Gov. Nathan Deal pledged to support those affected by Monday’s tornado.
“We stand ready to respond in any way we can,” Deal said. “It is important for states like ours, who do know what a tornado can do, to help out.”
Members of the Southern Baptist Convention’s disaster relief organization began making plans Tuesday at the group’s North American Mission Board office in Alpharetta to send volunteers and supplies to Oklahoma.
“Oklahoma Baptists have a pretty large disaster relief volunteer operation, but they’ve already said they are going to need some extra help for this one,” said Mike Ebert, spokesman for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.
“The devastation is so massive,” Ebert told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday morning. “We’re hearing a 30-square-mile area.”
Ebert said his team spent Tuesday morning loading a tractor-trailer with pallets of bottled water and big rolls of roofing tarp “so that our volunteers can patch up the homes that were damaged that are still functioning, still standing.”
He said an assessment team would be on site Tuesday in the disaster zone to determine other needs, how many volunteers will be needed, and which states would provide those volunteers.
“We have the capacity to send in several hundred [volunteers] if that’s what’s needed,” he said.
“Once we get to the point where we’re able to get in and help clear trees and help patch roofs, we will need a lot of volunteers to help with that,” Ebert said.
“This response will require a lot of chain saw teams that can go in and clear trees and other debris, feeding teams that can go in and run our mobile kitchens and things like that,” he said. “Georgia does have a lot of chain saw teams and mobile kitchens, so Georgia could very well be one of the groups that is mobilized for that.”
Other organizations are also gearing up to help with disaster relief in Oklahoma.
Ruben Brown, spokesman for the Atlanta chapter of the American Red Cross, said his organization had two people deploying to the disaster zone Tuesday, and “200 volunteers in the state have raised their hands to volunteer.”
Those wishing to make a financial contribution to the Red Cross disaster effort may do so by calling 404-876-3302.
The Salvation Army is encouraging donors who would like to make a monetary contribution to give online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 800-725-2769.
A prayer service was being held Tuesday night at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, located at 1722 Oak Grove Road in Decatur. The service was to include music, prayers for the victims, and lighting of candles, Rev. Glenn Ethridge said.
A spokesman for Georgia Power said Tuesday morning that they had not yet received a request from Oklahoma utilities for assistance but would provide crews to help with the recovery if asked.
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