Local efforts under way to help Texas flood victims
As floodwaters rise, Texarkana is lending a helping hand to Houston and other parts of Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey and its remnants.
A Texarkana, Texas, Fire Department crew is working out of a Galveston, Texas, fire station.
Salvation Army volunteers have been deployed to a shelter in Dallas, and Red Cross volunteers are waiting to be deployed to Houston.
A group of nurses from CHRISTUS St. Michael remain at a hospital in Corpus Christi.
TTFD firefighters were deployed as part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System.
Members of the team include Don Rich, Marty Lawrence, Lucas Shelton and Brad Smith. The team left Saturday and are prepared to stay for at least nine days.
“We have had some contact with them, but they have been to busy to give us to much information. There is a
high volume of calls at the station they are at. All of the regular calls don’t stop just because of the flooding,” Fire Chief Eric Schlotter said.
A second crew from TTFD is on standby. TIFMAS is a voluntary group that about 25 TTFD firefighters are certified for.
“The good thing about TIFMAS is everybody received training and is certified, so when a city puts out a request for assistance, they know they are getting qualified help,” Schlotter said.
He said the deployment of the firefighters will not affect the department’s ability to cover Texarkana.
Volunteers with the Texarkana Salvation Army were scheduled to deploy but have been postponed until further notice, said Sann Terry, corporate and community relations director.
“They said the water will have to recede before we can go in,” Terry said.
Three volunteers will go out with the emergency canteen, a tractor-trailer sized field kitchen, and will be stationed wherever there is a need. They will provide meals and hydration to those displaced by the storm or those waiting the flooding out in their homes, Terry said.
The volunteers will be there about two weeks and will then be replaced by a second group of three volunteers from Texarkana.
The Salvation Army is not taking donations of clothing or food. Financial donations, however, are greatly appreciated.
“A financial donation allows charitable relief agencies to use monetary contributions to purchase exactly what disaster survivors need. Monetary contributions are also easy to get to the disaster area,” Terry said.
Donations may be made at helpsalvationarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
If writing a check, please include Hurricane Harvey on the check. Mail checks to: The Salvation Army P.O. Box 1959 Atlanta, Ga. 30301.
Eric Cain, director of the Texarkana Red Cross Office said a few volunteers from Bowie and Titus counties have been sent to volunteer at a large shelter for evacuees in Dallas. The shelter is operated by the Texas Department of Emergency Management, a division of Texas Department of Public Safety.
A fundraiser for the Red Cross was held Monday at the Sonic on Summerhill Road in conjunction with Fox Sports Radio.
Volunteers were collecting money for the American Red Cross that will go directly to the relief effort in South Texas.
“It’s been going well,” Cain said. “People have been bringing in checks either at the Sonic or at the office,” he said.
He said there are a few evacuees staying at Texarkana hotels and they are receiving community referrals from the Red Cross. That includes clothing and some meals.
Twelve nurses and a nurse manager with CHRISTUS St. Michael System in Texarkana remain in South Texas. They flew down Friday when more than 70 patients were evacuated from a sister hospital in Corpus Christi.
Also, an Uber launch announcement planned for today at Texarkana College has been canceled because of hurricane relief efforts. All Uber resources are being diverted to areas affected by Hurricane Harvey.