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Adventist Community Services Disaster Response is responding to the Oklahoma Tornadoes. Stan Buckmaster reported that ACS DR volunteers were in the disaster zone last evening distributing bottled water and snacks to the survivors, and will continue today. The Norman ACS Center is open to assist those affected by the tornadoes.
5/10/10 - Kentucky_Tennessee Update
Kentucky-Tennessee Conference ACS DR has finalized on a Nashville Warehouse (FEMA calls the "Tennessee Resource Staging and Distribution Center") May 8, 2010. KY-TN Conference has some items in stock that will will be used (sorting tables, signage, some office equipment etc).
The building had been flooded with what looks to be about 2" of water, and there was a fine layer of dried mud on the floor surfaces, but the owner has hired a professional cleaning company and they have scrubbed the floors in the warehouse area and are renovating the office area. The workers had torn out about 2' of sheetrock and yesterday they were sanding the sheetrock, getting ready to paint. Hopefully the office area will be ready to occupy by mid-week. Deryl and Violet Christensen are the managers.
The water distribution is presently being operated out of an airplane hanger in Smyrna, TN, east of Nashville, by the TN National Guard, but it looks as though that will be moved to the warehouse, and will be managed by TEMA.
Delivery of 6 pallets of frozen food boxes will be arriving by mid-day Tuesday.
Report 5/11/10
We set up sorting tables, got our signs up, etc. Then, yesterday, May 10, the state began moving in some of the items they were providing to us for the operation of the facility. Today the office staff were able to move into their newly-renovated office area (the warehouse had been flooded during the storm), and the warehouse began taking in its first supplies. It is expected to begin receiving an inreasing amount of items as the days go on, and more people find out about its existance. It has 100,000 sq/ft, 10 loading docks, 3 drive-in doors and ample office space for all of our activities.
The following is the address and contact information for the TRS&DC:
Tennessee Resource Staging and Distribution Center
410 Harding Industrial Drive
Nashville, TN 37211
It is located about 3 blocks north of I-24 at the Harding Place exit, east of Nashville proper.
This facility will be serving distribution centers only - our multi-agency warehouses do not provide goods directly to survivors. However, we expect, through this facility, to be able to serve thousands of survivors by supplying goods to the distribution centers who are serving survivors directly.
It is presently expected that the warehouse might be open until after the first of the year, as the State of TN expects to start staging building supplies there as the emergency needs dwindle.
In addition to the TRS&DC, the South Central Conference is setting up 4 of it's churches to be distribution centers in the Nashville area, under the direction of Pat Hurd. It is possible that the SCC might also begin some mobile distribution in west TN also. KY-TN Conference is also setting up 2 of its churches to do the same thing. So SDAs will be serving the survivors of this tragedy directly as well as secondarily.
-Report by Terry Haight, Georgia-Cumberland Conference ACS Disaster Response Coordinator
5/18/10
The Tennessee Resourse Staging and Distribution Center is humming along on nearly idle speed, although it has showed signs of life today.
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is working with us, and they are going out starting tomorrow to the outlying counties to see what the needs are there, and to locate any distribution sites that are operating, so that we can supply them if they have needs. We will probably concentrate on these, as there is a lot of competition here in the Nashville area. Nearly every large disaster response organization in the nation has a presence here, and needs are being met on a wholesale scale - although we are hearing of isolated places that have not yet received help.
Our building is still being used as a warehouse for the state, but part of it is going to be offered to FEMA for storing some of the things they are needing to store. Unless we have a sudden, unexpected influx of donated supplies, there should be enough space.
The South Central Conference has received some goods from us to begin their distribution operations, and that is a good thing, as their churches are right in the middle of some of the worst damaged areas.
We don't know at this point how long this facility will be open. Probably to the end of the month at least. There is a strong possibility that Tennessee will get a 90% - 100% reimbursement for expenses, and if that is the case, the warehouse will be open for much longer - FEMA has mandated it to be so.
- Report by Terry Haight, Georgia-Cumberland Conference ACS Disaster Response Coordinator
We are gradually compiling a list of distribution centers and delivering to them. I believe we delivered to about 8 different centers yesterday, plus a couple came by to pick-up their orders, so things are beginning to move.
I made some contacts yesterday with several agencies that have access to goods, and they are coming by today to see our operation so they can judge for themselves what we need. Larry brought 2 FEMA Donated Goods specialists by yesterday, and their job will be to fill the warehouse.
The Nashville Mayor has opened a competing warehouse to serve the people in Metro Nashville, and that is siphoning off many of the supplies that would normally come to us, but Larry doesn't expect that to last very long. The other responding agencies are more interested in dealing with us, since we serve the rest of the affected counties also, and the work is beginning to spread to several of the out-lying counties now.