Help Victims of the Alabama Tornado

At approximately 5:15 P.M. on April 27, a huge tornado, known as “The Monster,” hit Alabama. The ravages of this unprecedented weather event wrecked the lives of thousands of people across the state, destroying homes and property. Hundreds died as a result of this storm and many children still remain separated from their parents.

Shortly after the mile-wide tornado roared through Tuscaloosa, AL, Mayor Walter Maddox described the city as “flattened.” Governor Robert Bentley stated that Alabama is a Level 1 disaster area, comparable to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the World Trade Center after 9/11. The Tuscaloosa tornado, one of several that hit Alabama, tore through the city, sweeping past a major medical center, the University of Alabama campus and a high school.

Government officials are working on providing relief and have opened 11 disaster recovery centers in Alabama, but meanwhile victims of the storm are unsure about their futures. One eyewitness, who was in her grandfather’s shelter at the time, reported that her families’ homes were devastated and the clan is now living in the one standing house remaining, albeit minus a roof and doors. However, she says, “We are among the lucky ones.”

People were trapped in buildings, and power lines downed across many roads. Hospitals are caring for patients, in many cases without being able to identify them. Thousands of volunteers are offering help and businesses nationwide are lending assistance.

Krystal Branscome, owner of Downtown Baby, a baby clothing, furniture and gift store at 1825 McFarland Boulevard in North Tuscaloosa, has made her shop a donation center for children’s supplies. Together with Wagner’s Shoes, another local merchant, Krystal and her helpers load trailers of donations and send them to the Red Cross distribution center from where goods are dispersed to shelters, churches and wherever they are needed.

Donate to the American Red Cross

Please join Krystal and others who are helping the desperate people of Alabama by donating to the American Red Cross. Your donation could feed and shelter a child for another day, provide a little comfort and a helping hand, or make sure someone doesn’t go hungry. Your help is needed now more than ever and every single donation brings hope.

To help, visit www.redcross.org; call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to American Red Cross Mid Alabama Region, 300 Chase Park South, Hoover, AL 35244 or to American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Any donation, large or small, will help. For example, $3 can provide a comfort kit for someone in a disaster; $6 can cover the cost of a blanket; $10 covers the cost of a hot meal. For $150, a donation can cover the cost of providing food and shelter to a family of four for a day they spend in a shelter. It’s time for all of us to open our hearts and our wallets for the stricken tornado victims in Alabama.