Chris Lange, FISM News
Christian groups, including Samaritan’s Purse and Convoy of Hope, have sent disaster relief teams to help survivors of a deadly storm system that produced as many as 60 tornadoes over the weekend.
The violent storms ravaged communities across eight states between Friday and Saturday, resulting in at least 32 deaths, per The Associated Press.
The Mississippi River Valley, still reeling from last weekend’s deadly storm system that caused the deaths of 26 people, bore the brunt of the second wave of violent weather, with one additional death reported in the state on Saturday.
Fatalities were reported in Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, and Alabama.
Samaritan’s Purse, which already has disaster relief teams in place in Mississippi, said on Saturday that relief workers had also been dispatched to heavily hit portions of Arkansas with supplies and vital equipment. Two additional Disaster Relief Units were deployed to tornado-ravaged communities in Covington, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Indiana.
We are on the ground in Little Rock, #Arkansas, ready to help families after the horrific storms this weekend. We have also decided to respond in Covington, #Tennessee and Sullivan County, #Indiana where there was significant damage from these storms. https://t.co/A1aVoFVGcs pic.twitter.com/n61xkDPVup
— Samaritan's Purse (@SamaritansPurse) April 3, 2023
“All groups will tarp roofs, cut downed trees, and search through debris to help homeowners find any salvageable items. As they work, they will be encouraging homeowners and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ,” the nonprofit Christian ministry said in a Saturday news release.
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham shared photos of the devastation in Little Rock in a Facebook post taken by staff members on the ground.
“Pray for those who have lost their homes, businesses — and especially for those who lost loved ones in these storms,” he wrote.
Convoy of Hope, another Christian nonprofit ministry, has sent two teams of volunteers to Greater Little Rock and Wynne, Arkansas. The group said that it has also sent in truckloads of food, water, and relief supplies to several locations throughout the state that will be distributed among those in need immediately upon arrival.
“As severe weather threats continue into the evening and overnight across the Midwest, Convoy of Hope is ready to respond where there is need,” the ministry said in a news release, noting that, as of Saturday evening, more than 80,000 residents of the state were without power.
Thank you for your ongoing support of #tornado survivors across the Midwest. The food, water, and cleanup efforts Convoy of Hope is helping with on the ground bring #hope — one day at a time. Impact a life today at https://t.co/VuZv0FDaiv pic.twitter.com/aPYMvfnHnC
— Convoy of Hope (@ConvoyofHope) April 2, 2023
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency Friday, The Hill reported. She said that she had been in contact with President Biden, who offered federal resources.