The Salvation Army Responds to Tropical Storm Henri

Trained disaster staff mobilize relief efforts in New England

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Aug 22, 2021, 15:18 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army is activating its Emergency Disaster Services personnel to meet the immediate needs of survivors and first responders affected by Tropical Storm Henri, which made landfall on August 22 in along the south coast of Rhode Island.

"We are doing everything in our power to respond efficiently and effectively to the impacts made by Tropical Storm Henri," said Emergency Disaster Services Coordinator of The Salvation Army's USA Eastern Territory, Robert Myers III. "With the continued generosity of the public, The Salvation Army will remain on the ground serving those affected by the storm for however long our services are needed."

In addition to high winds, Henri is expected to bring heavy, sustained rain and storm surge that could create severe flooding conditions. This could limit the ability for relief teams to reach those in need, including sustained water damage to structures that obstruct access to impacted areas.

As a community-based organization, The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to respond with in-depth understanding of the area's needs. In preparation for response efforts, several steps have been taken to serve those impacted:

Incident Command centers have been established in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Mobile feeding units are being prepared for deployment to serve food, drinks, and emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders.

Each mobile feeding unit can serve 500 to 1,500 meals per day.

Fixed Corps locations are being prepared to provide feeding and other needed support to those affected.

In addition, Salvation Army disaster personnel are collaborating with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies and other partners to respond to and monitor ongoing impacts and evolve response efforts as needed.

The storm comes at the beginning of what is predicted to be a busy hurricane season. In light of the pandemic, The Salvation Army has evolved service delivery with extra precautions such as social distancing at food distribution sites, adapted feeding models and updated personal protective equipment requirements.

A digital media kit with current and historical Emergency Disaster Services assets can be found here.

For more information on The Salvation Army's continued response, visit salvationarmyusa.org or disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

To make a financial gift to support ongoing disaster relief efforts:

Donate online: give.helpsalvationarmy.org
Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually helps 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. During times of disaster, 100 percent of designated donations to The Salvation Army are used for immediate response and long-term efforts. In the first-ever listing of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country's largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.

Media Contact: Joseph Cohen, [email protected]

SOURCE The Salvation Army