Salvation Army Mobilizes Emergency Teams to Combat Hurricane Isaac

by SalvationArmy.ca
Categories: Newswire
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Alexandria, Virginia – With Isaac officially upgraded to a category one hurricane, The Salvation Army is mobilizing its emergency response teams and supplies along the Gulf Coast in preparation for landfall. The storm is expected to continue gaining strength with storm surges and heavy rainfalls, with a path through New Orleans and the southeastern Louisiana coast. The Salvation Army is prepared to provide food and hydration as well as emotional and spiritual care to anyone impacted by Hurricane Isaac.

The Salvation Army has 12 mobile feeding units, a fully equipped 54-foot field kitchen, and up to 60 personnel staging in Hattiesburg, MS in advance of Hurricane Isaac, and an additional 12 feeding units are prepared to deploy directly to affected areas immediately following the storm. The 24 mobile feeding units and the field kitchen have a combined daily feeding capacity of more than 31,000 meals.

Additionally, The Salvation Army is preparing for possible impact along the Florida Panhandle. Throughout the state of Florida, The Salvation Army has already provided more than 1,600 meals, 1,700 drinks, nearly 300 showers and 550 cases of spiritual and emotional care. Furthermore, two mobile feeding units capable of serving 1,000 hot meals and cold bottled water are currently in the Wellington and Lake Worth communities following massive flooding and widespread power outages. The Salvation Army is also supporting first responders and survivors with hydration in downtown Tampa and surrounding areas.

The Salvation Army is also training additional personnel in spiritual and emotional care on the front lines, recognizing that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder could be a significant problem in these communities. Pastoral care is available for all those impacted, but is not a prerequisite for receiving assistance from The Salvation Army.

In addition to food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care, The Salvation Army is also prepared to provide:
• Clean-up kits containing brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies
• Hygiene kits
• Shower units
• First-aid supplies
• Communications support

For more information on The Salvation Army’s preparation and response to Tropical Storm Isaac, please visit http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/, www.facebook.com/salvationarmyusa or www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus.