Response to 2011 Severe Spring Weather

8:35 P.M. – Below is the final Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes:

Gloucester County (work concluded)
To volunteer for long-term recovery, please call 757.262.0190.
Additional details are included on page for Tornado in Gloucester Area.

Halifax County (work concluded)
See final report on May 3rd post and other summaries below.

Pulaski County (work concluded)
To volunteer for long-term recovery or make donations, call 540.994-2602.
Additional details are included on page for Tornadoes in Pulaski, Virginia.

Washington County (work concluded)
To volunteer for long-term recovery or make donations, call 276.525.1335.
Here is our final report for VBMB Disaster Response in Washington County:

ACTION DATE	LUNCH MEALS	DINNER MEALS	TOTAL MEALS	TOTAL VOLUNTEERS	VOLUNTEER HOURS	OTHER NOTES
4/28		500	500	8	96	Feeding Emergency workers at EOC
4/29	500	450	950	10	140
4/30	132 (for early breakfast)	204	336			Relocated after breakfast to Glade Spring Baptist
5/1	225	225	450
5/2	150	150	300	10	100
5/3	270	270	540	22	176
5/4	275	275	550	21	200
5/5	270	350	620	25	280
5/6	250		250	24	144
TOTALS	2077	2379	4456	188	1684

Shower unit completed its’ assignment and returned to base at the end of the day Friday May 6. Laundry Unit has completed 53 loads for affected persons and returned to its base of operation on Friday, May 6.

Recovery (work concluded)

ACTION DATE	# OF JOBS	TOTAL VOLUNTEERS	VOLUNTEER HOURS
4/30
5/5	270	25	280
5/6	250	24	144
TOTALS	2077	188	1684

 

Our work in support of the Virginia Tornadoes Response is complete. We always welcome your help with our active relief efforts, so please call:

VBMB Disaster Relief Hotline
804.545.1212

If no one is available to answer your call, please leave a message and someone will call you back as soon as possible. Your willingness to serve is greatly appreciated.

For additional details and information, please contact Jeannette Hildebrand.

10:15 P.M. – Today's Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes follows:

Washington County
Feeding unit continues to be operational. Shower unit is providing showers for volunteers only. Laundry Unit has completed 53 loads for affected persons. Feeding, recovery, showers and laundry are all planning to shut down at noon on Friday.

Gloucester County (see Tornado in Gloucester Area)
A request has been made for chainsaw volunteers to assist with 15 – 20 jobs that need completion. Mission is to cut trees and branches that are already on the ground and take the debris to the curb.

The next report will be provided on Monday, May 16.

10:55 P.M. – Today's Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes follows:

Washington County
Feeding unit is operational with 9 new volunteers and a few trained ones as well. Recovery volunteers have completed all available jobs at this time.  Blue Hat has returned home and all volunteers have been placed on “standby” for a later response to Virginia or to other affected states.

Halifax County (work concluded)
All work is complete and below is the final report.

ACTION DATE	JOBS COMPLETED	TOTAL VOLUNTEERS	VOLUNTEER HOURS	OTHER NOTES
4/29–4/30	15	26	472

The next report will be provided on Thursday, May 5.

10:00 P.M. – Today's Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes follows:

Washington County
Feeding unit is established and the determination of daily meals is difficult. ARC is having a hard time “reading” the community. But, we will continue to cook until the meals purchased (2,500) are depleted.

No showers or laundry were used by the community today. Information about availability has been made public so we anticipate their use to increase.

Recovery Blue hat did further assessment with local volunteers and the Volunteer center and discovered very few jobs that needed work. Phone calls to other assessors revealed that they were experiencing the same thing. Insurance companies are also hindering the recovery process by requesting homeowners to not have any work completed on their homes until they have completed their work.

Halifax County
Called the local coordinator and it appears that most jobs are completed.

Shenandoah County
No requests to date. This is the final report for Shenandoah unless job requests come in.

Further updates and information will be posted upon receipt.

10:00 P.M. – Today's Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes follows:

Washington County
Feeding unit established at Glade Spring Baptist Church. Low meal count for today and expected low for Monday. Should increase on Tuesday but not expected to go to much beyond 500 per day at this time. Power has been restored to many homes. Emergency workers are more local now and may only get a lunch meal. We will continue to serve as requested. Especially for volunteers and others who may have need. Working on total meal count and volunteer hours but here are the confirmed numbers to date:

DR Job box was packed and given to Recovery Blue Hat to take to Glade Spring. Including two computers, two cell phones, GPS unit and usual items in box for office, etc.

Shower unit arrived onsite and is functional.

Recovery Blue Hat arrived onsite. A plan was established for volunteers beginning Monday morning. Blue Hat will go to established Volunteer Center each morning and retrieve day passes and projects. The projects will be divided among volunteers who will then report to the Blue Hat who will then return completed projects to Volunteers Center. Process repeats.

Approximately 15 volunteers representing 5 Associations are scheduled to arrive on Monday.

Halifax County
Local volunteers and a few from Appomattox worked through the day and completed most jobs. The remaining jobs will be completed by local volunteers. I will seek a report but not sure it will be given since jobs are being handled through Emergency Managers office.

Shenandoah County
No requests to date.

Further updates and information will be posted upon receipt.

10:30 P.M. – Today's Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes follows:

Washington County
Feeding Unit was stood down after the breakfast meal. It was packed up but held in place until we were certain it was not needed. There was a possibility that it would be requested to assist the ARC feeding program. It was indeed requested to assist the ARC feeding program. However, this is a local ARC chapter and basically self-deployed without assistance from national ARC. It was delivering food that was being provided by local churches. Our unit ended up with 3,500 extra meals that were already purchased by VBMB and VDEM. These meals were offered to ARC and they requested our kitchen move to a new location and prepare the meals we offered. The kitchen was relocated to Glade Spring Baptist Church and is ready to prepare meals on Sunday morning. The initial meal count for Sunday and Monday is only 300 to support the churches that are already scheduled to prepare meals. After Monday the churches will stand down and our meal count will increase. Once we cook all 3,500 meals our mission will be complete unless ARC provides meals. There is a slight concern for volunteers beyond Monday but a local church has shown great interest and volunteers may be trained onsite and utilized for the mission.

Chainsaw teams were requested to respond as soon as possible. We have redirected a few teams scheduled for Halifax County and one team was already in the area assisting the Kitchen so they deployed and assisted town workers to clear roads. Two teams will be in the area on Sunday and other teams are being coordinated to respond on Monday and throughout the week. A coordinator will arrive on Sunday and possibly a second on Monday depending on the number of teams that respond.

A shower unit was requested later in the day. The Clinch Valley Unit was deployed and will respond Sunday and be ready for service by midday.

A Laundry Unit was requested later in the day. The Appomattox Unit was deployed and will respond Monday and be ready for service by midday.

It is unclear as to the mission of these two units. Not sure if it is intended for affected persons or emergency personnel. It will be utilized by volunteers at the church.

Halifax County
Volunteers began their work early in the morning and by the end of the day 13 jobs were completed. There are a few jobs left incomplete that will be completed by local volunteers on Sunday. Approximately 20 volunteers served for 200 hours on Saturday.

It is anticipated that the response in Halifax will conclude on Sunday.

Shenandoah County
No calls or requests were received and none are anticipated.

Further updates and information will be posted upon receipt.

11:57 P.M. – Today's Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes follows:

Washington County
Feeding volunteers for Saturday secured. Meals were purchased by VDEM and secured from Sam’s Club by our volunteers. Number of meals undetermined at this time but is approximately 1,000 for today.

A request to extend the feeding mission through Sunday was requested late in the afternoon and accepted. Feeding volunteers for Sunday are being requested. A decision about extending the mission beyond Sunday will be discussed Saturday morning.

Chainsaw teams for the area are on alert and ready to move into the area when requested.

Halifax County
Three assessment teams (2 VBMV and 1 SBCV) entered the county with the Emergency Manager. Four chainsaw teams were deployed and ready to begin work when given jobs. Approximately 4-6 projects were discovered and teams began working. Work will continue on Saturday and should be completed unless more projects are discovered.

It was determined that the feeding and shower units were not required and both were stood down. Volunteers are from Halifax County, Roanoke and Colonial Heights.

Shenandoah County
No calls or requests were received and none are anticipated.

NAMB and VOAD
Conference calls were held and basic updates were given.
Several volunteers are currently on standby and are eager to respond.

Further updates and information will be posted upon receipt.

11:30 P.M. – Today's Situation Report for Virginia Tornadoes follows:

Washington County
6:00 a.m. – Received a phone call from VDEM requesting a feeding unit to provide at least 500 meals as early as possible. Unit was deployed, set up and served a meal in late afternoon. It remains on site to prepare meals through Saturday and beyond if necessary. Most meals are currently provided to emergency personnel and individuals who walk up.
Location – Petrol Truck Stop (Exit #29 on Interstate 81)

Halifax County
Halifax County remains closed to volunteers as of 8:30 p.m. Thursday evening. As soon as it is released we will respond. There are 2 assessors and three chainsaw teams ready to ready to respond.We are leading the response in Halifax and SBCV teams will report through us. The emergency manager has said all volunteer requests will be sent through the EOC in Richmond.

Shenandoah County
We are ready to respond with volunteers as requested.
No requests have come to us as of yet.

Current standings with volunteers
12 volunteer from Petersburg area are ready to respond and have been assigned to Halifax County. The Blackwater Shower unit on alert to respond to Halifax. Norfolk Feeding Unit on alert to respond to Halifax. Nickelsville Chainsaw team on alert to respond to Washington County. Several volunteers have responded with interest and will be assigned on Friday.

Stay tuned – information will be posted upon receipt!

9:30 A.M. (Washington County, Virginia) – In response to a tornado that hit Washington County, destroying a trailer park and a truck stop, the Clinch Valley Feeding Unit is currently in route to the Washington County area. Patrick Johnson will be leading the operation as the "blue hat."

Dean Miller, the Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief Coordinator, will be in communication with Patrick once the Feeding Unit gets to the area, and local emergency managers will help to determine the exact location of where the Feeding Unit will be set up.

VBMB's Disaster Relief team is in contact with disaster relief leaders in the area regarding recruitment of feeding unit volunteers for Friday and Saturday. Certified volunteers will likely need to travel to the area, so local volunteers are asked to respond.

In addition to the feeding unit, recovery leaders are prepared to assess the need for response from VBMB's certified Chainsaw Unit crews.

12:00 P.M. (North Carolina Tornadoes) – North Carolina Baptist Disaster Relief leadership has requested the assistance of Virginia Baptist Recovery volunteers.

Trained recovery volunteers are needed in the Raleigh and Fayetteville areas of North Carolina. Work is primarily chainsaw and debris removal. North Carolina Baptist Men will be providing housing, meals, and leadership.

Please call if you are able to respond anytime within the next two weeks.