Kosciusko Red Cross Sends Volunteer to Hattiesburg
Posted
Joe Boals-jboals@timesuniononline.com
The Kosciusko County Red Cross is deploying a volunteer this morning to the Hattiesburg, Miss., area to work as a client caseworker. Caseworkers assist disaster victims with lodging, food and clothing needs. The Mississippi town southeast of Jackson was struck by a tornado Sunday, leaving hundreds homeless. The American Red Cross has opened three shelters in the Hattiesburg area. In addition to client services provided at shelter locations, The American Red Cross is working with the Salvation Army to provide fixed and mobile feeding sites. Over 100 volunteers are on the ground to aid in the disaster response with emotional support, food, water and emergency supplies like cleanup and comfort kits. Tornado cleanup and recovery has begun in Hattiesburg and surrounding areas where tornadoes ripped through four counties, hitting at least 800 homes, with over 70 percent of those homes sustaining heavy damage, including hundreds that were completely destroyed. According to a National Weather Service survey team, three tornadoes struck Sunday: an EF-4 with winds up to 170 mph, and an EF-3 and EF-1 that hit 2 other counties. At least 80 people were injured, most in Forrest County, but no deaths have been reported. The Kosciusko County Chapter of the Red Cross regularly trains community members who are interested in responding to local an or national disasters. The next “Boot Camp” will be March 23 and 24 at the Kosciusko County Red Cross Chapter building at 320 N. Buffalo Street in Warsaw. All those who are interested should call 574.267.5244 to register. All Red Cross disaster training is free of charge.
