January 16, 2008

Persistent rains and heavy winds have spread a path of damage from Mississippi through Wisconsin in these first few weeks of the new year.

Indiana: Early assessments report as many as 300 destroyed and 1200 affected residences by flooding. State and federal emergency management officials are still conducting preliminary damage assessments. Frigid temperatures are hampering clean-up efforts.

Mississippi: A tornadic storm cut a 100-mile swath of damage across north-central Mississippi, damaging or destroying at least 100 homes. Mississippi's tornado survivors likely will not receive a federal declaration, and federal assistance is not anticipated to all areas suffering damage from this system of storms.

Wisconsin: A rare January tornado destroyed 100 homes in Kenosha County, part of a storm system that sparked reports of at least 35 funnel-cloud touchdowns across the Midwest.

Arkansas: A strong tornado struck Benton and Pope Counties, causing major damage.

Missouri: Initial assessment indicated 25 homes destroyed, 75 with major damage and another 150 with minor damage. Shelters were opened to provide services from those displaced by flooding.

Assessment teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are surveying damage or have completed inspections in the affected states. As such, the faith community will be called upon to provide support to those who have limited abilities to recover independently.

CWS response

First Christian Church in Watseka, Ill. asked for material resources assistance. In response, 400 CWS Blankets, 400 CWS Hygiene Kits and 200 CWS Cleanup Buckets should arrive in the community today. Value of the shipment is $15,721.

Emergency Response Specialists Lura Cayton and Heriberto Martinez are in contact with emergency management officials and disaster response personnel from the faith community in all affected states. As decisions about federal assistance are made, CWS will closely monitor those communities that do not receive federal assistance such as Caledonia, Miss.

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be made online, sent to your denomination, or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. Please designate: 2008 U.S. Winter Storms (#627-A).

Media Contact: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net