A Look Back at the 1974 Tornado Response

Photo Courtesy of Capital City Museum

Former Red Cross employee Pat Badgett (left) surveys the damage at Mitchell’s Trailer Park in Western Franklin County Kentucky following an April 3, 1974 tornado. Pat’s mother lived in the park, but was luckily not at home when the tornado hit. Pat was also a longtime Red Cross board member and continues to volunteer with the Franklin County Chapter.

Several communities are hosting memorials today to mark the 40^th Anniversary of the 1974 tornado outbreak, so I thought I would take a look through our chapter archives to learn how the Red Cross responded four decades ago. One of the hardest hit areas on April 3, 1974, was right here in the Commonwealth. A total of 85 deaths were recorded for Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

The Red Cross was there during the following days, weeks and months to provide emergency assistance in the areas where folks needed help the most. Six shelters were opened to accommodate displaced families. More than 400 people sought refuge there during the first days of the relief operation. By April 8, all Red Cross shelters were closed. Even though hundreds of families were still without a home, their family, friends and neighbors opened their doors to offer shelter and comfort.

The Red Cross opened one fixed site to serve food and operated six mobile units, feeding approximately 3,200 people around the clock, including affected families, National Guardsmen and emergency workers. We also set up a babysitting service for families cleaning up and collecting what was left of their homes.

Jefferson Co. Indiana volunteer Paul Steinhardt

 

But it wasn’t just the disaster department working to support relief efforts. Every single branch of the Red Cross played a part. Three mobile first aid units monitored affected areas at all times. Service to Military Families helped locate families for frantic relatives. More than 1,500 blood donors answered the call for blood in the week following the tornado outbreak.

As I read through old chapter meeting minutes, the familiar names of key community groups were frequently mentioned including Salvation Army, National Guard, Kentucky Baptist Convention and our longtime partner, the United Way. It was then as it is today, an “all hands on deck” operation inside and outside the organization. By the close of the operation, we had served 2,900 families in our region alone and we couldn’t have done it without our volunteers, donors and partners.

As we enter severe storm season, remember to create or review your family disaster plan. You can also download free Red Cross preparedness apps on floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires and hurricanes. Visit www.redcross.org/mobileapps for more information.

Retiree makes a career in volunteer disaster response

Disaster Action Team Volunteer Joe Baird

When I met with Joe Baird late last year, he had just returned to the chapter from assisting families affected by an apartment fire. As a Disaster Action Team (DAT) member, Joe is a Red Cross first responder for disasters such as floods, tornadoes and winter storms. But the disasters he sees most are home fires.

“No one is prepared for disaster,” Joe said. “People seem to forget—it’s not if a disaster happens, it’s when.”

He recalled his first DAT run in 2011 which involved an apartment fire and affected multiple families. Upset and in shock, the residents aired their frustrations to him. Using the skills he learned in Red Cross Psychological First Aid, Joe listened and let the residents know it was OK to let out their feelings.

“Being a DAT member is challenging, but very, very rewarding,” Joe said. “You get there and you’re overwhelmed, but they are too. You let them know life doesn’t end today. It will get better.”

In seven months, Joe attended all disaster response courses offered in the Louisville Area and became a certified course instructor. In addition to volunteering with the disaster department anywhere from 2-7 times a week, he has made time to serve on five major disaster operations including the response to Hurricane Isaac. On his next disaster deployment, he hopes to get practice in a supervisor role.

“It’s addictive,” Joe said of responding to disasters. “It makes your heart feel tremendous knowing that you’ve been able to help somebody. It makes you feel good about yourself.”

During the winter, Joe and other DAT members see a rise in the number of home fires oftentimes caused by the use of alternate heating sources—space heaters, candles or ovens. The chapter, now more than ever, is looking for volunteers to serve on the Disaster Action Team.

If you are interested in becoming a Red Cross DAT volunteer, please call (502) 561-3601.

Children Survive Storm that Landed Pet Horse in Grandparents’ Kitchen

The following post is by Angela Nicholas, a Red Cross volunteer from the Coastal South Carolina Chapter in Myrtle Beach, SC. Angela is a former Chapter Executive and is currently volunteering with Red Cross Public Affairs. This past week, she has been out in the field collecting stories from Southern Indiana and Kentucky residents affected by the March 2 tornadoes.

Six-year-old Shelby Cole, who survied the March 2 Kentucky tornado, listens intently to American Red Cross Mental Health Volunteer Alex Weinstein of the Greater Carolinas Chapter in Charlotte. Weinstein and other Red Cross mental health volunteers use artwork and other techniques to help children work through their fears. - Photo by Angela Nicholas

When Barbara Green and her husband dug their way out of the rubble that was their home before the March 2 tornado ripped through West Liberty, Kentucky, they found their horse lying on the kitchen floor. The couple rode out the storm in the hallway of their home and survived without injury. “We got up and dug our way out. I found the tornado had carried our horse through the roof and into our kitchen. It was laying on its side but was okay,” she said.

Green brought her two granddaughters, Audrey Cole, 3, and Shelby Cole, 6, with her to Morgan Central Elementary School where the Red Cross had set up a Service Center to provide resources for tornado survivors. The girls and their parents also lost their home to the storm. Green said the horse and the rest of the family’s animals except for one dog that was killed were okay and being tended by West Liberty veterinarian Dave Fugit. They included a cat with a broken leg and a cat with a broken jaw, but otherwise, the injuries were not too severe.

“Our animals were trapped,” said Shelby, who noted that the family has a donkey, chickens and ducks as well. “It was sad and scary.” Her little sister described what the storm did to their house, saying, “It flew everywhere.”

Both children were greeted at the Center by Volunteer Mental Health Professionals Bruce Funk of York County, Pennsylvania, and Alex Weinstein of Charlotte, N.C. Funk spent some time talking to them and presented them with small Mickey Mouse toys to cheer them up. Weinstein then chatted with the older child and used art to help her work through her fears. Green received assistance to help the family get back on the road to recovery, and the little girls left the Center smiling.

American Red Cross Receives Community Support for Relief Efforts

LOUISVILLE, KY, MAR. 6, 2012 – As the American Red Cross continues to provide relief to residents of Kentucky and Southern Indiana devastated by last week’s tornados, the community is showing overwhelming support.  Individuals, businesses and foundations are donating to American Red Cross Disaster Relief to ensure that the immediate, emergency needs of everyone affected are met. 

The Humana Foundation has donated $150,000 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief and will do a dollar for dollar match with Humana employees who wish to donate.  Humana and other generous donors acknowledge the scale of this disaster and wish to support immediate and ongoing disaster relief services.

The Paul Ogle Foundation, based in Clark County, Ind., and The UPS Foundation have each donated $100,000 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief.  UPS is also providing logistics expertise, transportation and warehousing to local Red Cross chapters.

WAVE3 and WHAS are hosting telethons, and other media outlets are sharing with the community how they can make a financial donation to help those recovering from these storms.

To support American Red Cross Disaster Relief, monetary donations can be made by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.  Contributions may also be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Contributions enable the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters.

As the American Red Cross continues to provide mobile feeding in the affected areas, the following Red Cross shelters will remain open to meet the immediate, emergency needs of those displaced.

Indiana:          American Legion, 209 S Main Street, Salem, IN 47167

                        Charlestown High School, 1 Pirate Place, Charlestown, IN 47111

                       

                        Chelsea Church of God, 6231 S State Road 62, Lexington, IN 47138

                        Country Lake Retreat, 815 Country Lake Road, Underwood, IN 47177

Kentucky:      Assembly Faith Church, 5578 Hwy 519, West Liberty, KY 41472

The following shelter locations are closed at this time: Morgan Community Center, Bedford, KY, Morgan Central Elementary School, West Liberty, KY and Laurel County Fire Department, London, KY.

American Red Cross Shelters Remain Open

LOUISVILLE, KY, MAR. 5, 2012 – The following American Red Cross shelters remain open in Kentucky and Indiana for those affected by this week’s storms.

American Legion

209 S Main Street

Salem, IN 47167

Charlestown High School

1 Pirate Place

Charlestown, IN 47111

                       

Chelsea Church of God

6231 S State Road 62

Lexington, IN 47138

                       

Country Lake Retreat

     815 Country Lake Road

     Underwood, IN 47177

     Morgan Central Elementary School

     3201 Hwy 460 West

     West Liberty, KY 41472

The following shelter locations are closed at this time: Morgan Community Center, Bedford, KY and Laurel County Fire Department, London, KY.

Seven Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles have been out in affected areas providing food and water to affected residents and emergency workers. Over 150 Red Cross workers are staffing shelters and are out in the field helping those in need. To date, the Red Cross has served more than 1,300 meals and snacks. The Red Cross will remain in the affected areas until all of the emergency needs are met.

People can help those affected by disasters like the Midwest tornadoes and storms, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a financial donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Consider making a donation today by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Contributions enable the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters.

American Red Cross Receives an Individual Matching Gift up to $50,000

Last week, tornado warnings were issued in more than a dozen states and damage across those states is widespread. The American Red Cross continues to distribute meals and operate shelters in Charlestown, Ind., Chelsea, Ind., Salem, Ind. and Bedford, Ky. Starting today, Louisville, KY residents, Mimi and Marshall Heuser, will match .50 cents for every dollar contributed to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Services up to $50,000.

By taking advantage of this offer, your gift will enable us to help multiple families and individuals devastated by tornadoes, storms, flood waters, home fires and other large disasters. Our disaster relief program ensures that lifesaving services are available immediately to all people affected by disaster and prepares communities for disasters before they strike.

In Kentucky and Southern Indiana, this string of early spring tornadoes has had the largest local impact since the storms of 1974. This elevated tornado activity comes earlier than usual and means that the Red Cross must be prepared to respond to tornadoes and other disasters year round.

Red Cross shelters are assisting residents impacted by the storms by providing food, water, first aid and a shoulder to lean on. Red Cross volunteers and Emergency Response Vehicles have been on the scene at the hardest hit areas to provide food and water, along with clean-up supplies as people are recovering personal items and continuing clean-up of their homes.

Your donation helps with costs associated with a relief effort and supports readiness and maintenance costs required to prepare before disaster strikes. The Red Cross maintains vehicles, communications systems, warehouses, and adequate supplies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

One thing is certain. Disasters happen. The Red Cross is a charity – not a government agency – and depends upon volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its disaster relief mission. By making a donation to Disaster Relief, you empower us to provide immediate assistance to those affected by disasters down the street, across the country and around the world. You can help people affected by disasters by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. You may donate at www.redcross.org or call 1-800-733-2767. Contributions may also be sent to your local chapter or American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. On rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters.