• Philip Burn

"By the grace of God we are still standing" North Texas Storms Continue

Dallas, Texas (May 21, 2015) - Christina Lopez and her family were at home on Tuesday evening, close to Bridgeport, Texas, when they received an emergency warning about a rapidly approaching tornado. The family left their mobile home and huddled together in a truck under a large tree as moments later the tornado tore through their small community.

“We were bouncing all over the place in the truck,” said Mrs. Lopez. “I was helpless as I watched the tornado rip my house apart. There was nothing I could do about it.” The Salvation Army mobile kitchen from Dallas Fort Worth Area Command provided lunch, snacks and drinks to Mrs. Lopez and her family on Thursday as they tirelessly worked to sort through the wreckage of five homes that were destroyed. When asked if the family would like some bibles in addition to the food she responded, “Absolutely! We’ll take them. It’s only by the grace of God that we are still standing.”

Dangerous storms continue to move through the North Texas area and are forecast to remain through the Memorial weekend. Flooding is a major concern throughout the state and all Salvation Army Disaster Response Units are on standby preparing to assist local areas and beyond if necessary.

Wichita Falls and Gainesville are major areas of concern this evening with record flooding expected. A mandatory evacuation was put in place for approximately 150 homes in Wichita Falls as area power was switched off on Thursday morning. The Salvation Army has been activated as an emergency shelter and will also be feeding those affected in the community at the Point of Distribution Center with the support of the mobile kitchen from San Angelo. The Salvation Army of Sherman is on standby for deployment to Gainsville.

Wednesday and Thursday also saw continued Salvation Army meal service in Van, Mineral Wells, Bridgeport, Runaway Bay, and Corpus Christi.

To make a financial donation to support The Salvation Army flood and tornado relief efforts please go to http://tsatx.org/floodandtornadorelief

If you are interested in learning more about The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) in Texas, or to become a local disaster volunteer, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

For the most up-to-date emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army in Texas, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow latest updates on Twitter @SalArmyTXEDS and Facebook at www.facebook.com/SalArmyTXEDS.

About The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services:
“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” While every disaster is unique and creates its own special needs, the core of The Salvation Army's disaster program consists of several basic services. And while these services address many of the typical needs of a disaster survivor, Salvation Army disaster relief is also flexible. Our services are adapted to the specific needs of individuals and communities and scalable according to the magnitude of the disaster.

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About The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.