• Daphne Nabors

Salvation Army Preparing For Sally While Actively Providing Laura Relief

Lake Charles, Louisiana (September 13, 2020)— The Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division is preparing for a major emergency disaster response for the second time in less than a month as Tropical Storm Sally threatens the gulf coast—even as active Hurricane Laura relief is currently ongoing in Lake Charles. According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Sally is currently projected to strengthen into a hurricane on Monday and then move slowly northward near the southeastern Louisiana or Mississippi coasts through Tuesday.

The need in Laura-ravaged Lake Charles is still great, where The Salvation Army is continuing to serve an average of 9,000-10,000 meals each day. To date, The Salvation Army has provided over 260,000 meals in response to Hurricane Laura throughout affected areas of Louisiana and Texas—nearly 200,000 of those meals were provided in Lake Charles alone. 

The oncoming threat of Sally is causing The Salvation Army to reassess the placement of already thin-stretched resources and personnel in its Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division. “Helping people at their point of need is what The Salvation Army does best. Nobody wants back-to-back disasters, but we will be there to help whenever and wherever disaster strikes,” said Terry Lightheart, Salvation Army ALM Divisional Emergency Disaster Services Director.

The best way to support the disaster work of The Salvation Army is by making a financial donation at www.helpsalvationarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. For the latest emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army, please go to www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and watch for regular updates on our social media pages at www.facebook.com/LakeCharlesCorps, www.facebook.com/salarmyalm/ and www.twitter.com/salarmyalm.

As natural disasters can increase mental stress, The Salvation Army’s Emotional & Spiritual Care HOPEline remains available. Anyone needing a caring listener – whether because of natural disaster, COVID-19, or the stress of life in general – can call 844-458-HOPE (4673) for support. HOPEline hours are 8 AM to 11 PM CDT, 7 days a week.