• Cynthia (Cindy) Fuller

Flooding and Tornadoes Continue to Affect Arkansas and Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, OK– As waters rise in both Oklahoma and Arkansas, The Salvation Army continues to serve tornado victims and to help those affected by flooding.   Much of Arkansas is under Flood Warnings and Oklahoma has flooding in multiple counties.  Storms are also predicted throughout the day and evening.

The mobile feeding unit (canteen) in Mountain Home, Arkansas is being dispatched to Pocahontas in Randolph County Arkansas.  Three rivers, Black, Red and White, converge near the community and a levee upstream has been damaged in Poplar Bluff, MO.  Currently, there is only one road going in and out of the area that is open to access the town.

At this time, Garry Odom (Divisional Director of Service Extension) and Joe Finley (Arkansas Service Unit Representative) are en route to Hot Springs, Arkansas.  They will be assisting with the operation in Garland County beginning Thursday morning under the direction of Captain Ben Walters, who is being deployed as Incident Commander as the current team transitions out.   The canteen from El Dorado is also being dispatched to Hot Springs to be put in service on Thursday.   Captain Walters will coordinate the continuation of services to the communities of Piney, Sunshine, Royal and Walnut Valley (near Fountain Lake).

The Fort Smith canteen and crew are serving Walnut Valley through dinner tonight.  Upon completion of dinner service, they will return to Fort Smith as flooding is anticipated to increase in the River Valley area.  Additionally, a crew led by Captain David Robinson, Pine Bluff Corps Officer, has been serving the communities of Piney, Sunshine, and Royal.  That crew will be returning to Pine Bluff this evening.

Also, major flooding has occurred in Eastern Oklahoma in Adair, Cherokee, and Sequoyah counties.   Due to potable water issues as a result of the flooding, a total of 14 pallets of water from the Tulsa warehouse have now been sent to that area. 

Financial donations are needed to support disaster relief efforts.  The Salvation Army asks those who want to help to visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and designate AOK Division Disaster Response.  Monetary donations will ensure The Salvation Army can meet the most immediate needs of those impacted by disaster. 

Contact:          Captain Ben Walters, Conway Corps Officer

                        501.908.2235 or ben_walters@uss.salvationarmy.org

                        Captain Carlyle Gargis, Fort Smith Corps Officer

                        479.420.8182 or carlyle_gargis@uss.salvationarmy.org