TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Disaster relief organizations across North Texas are gearing up to help people impacted by the deadly tornadoes across several states.
Rand Jenkins, director of ministry advancement with Texas Baptist Men, stood outside of their Dallas site Sunday evening. Crews loaded up their trucks as they prepared to deploy to Midwest states sometime this week.
Volunteers will head out as soon as they get the green light that it's safe to travel through hard-hit areas.
“It is a substantial amount of devastation,” Jenkins said.
TBM is helping those affected recover through emergency supplies, meal distribution, clean-up and even rebuilding.
“As the need increases for what we have and offer, we could be sending more throughout the week and weeks to come,” Jenkins said.
Over at World Vision’s site in Grand Prairie, the non-profit is ready to deploy a truck filled with emergency supplies on Monday morning. Already, the non-profit has sent a truck from its Chicago warehouse to Kentucky.
Another vehicle with supplies from North Texas will head to Ohio, according to World Vision’s partner coordinator Roberta Taylor.
“Usually the devastation is not as widespread, so this is a little different for us,” Taylor said.
The path of destruction hits close to home for Taylor. She has family members who live in hard-hit Kentucky, where state leaders said the death toll could exceed 100 people.
“It was a blessing that my family was not affected. Of course, they felt the brunt of the winds and they’ve gotten the rain and lost electricity," said Taylor.
Amid the devastation, there are people stepping in to help. Cooper Cowan, a soccer player at Arkansas State from Burleson, Texas, is among them.
Cowan, a sophomore in college, told WFAA she had to shelter in place as multiple tornadoes passed through her state. She didn’t suffer any damage or injuries, but nearby towns were left unrecognizable.
“I felt so bad and helpless, because I didn’t know what to do,” Cowan said.
She and her friends decided to drive around and look for ways to help. They showed up to a random family’s home and helped them clean up their backyard.
“The most heartbreaking thing was probably seeing all the kids toys spread out everywhere and the clothes from the nursing home all in the road and in the trees and on power lines,” Cowan said.
FEMA and the American Red Cross have announced there are efforts underway to help with recovery. It could take weeks or even months.
“Just keep us in your prayers,” Cowan said.