Severe Storms & Tornados in the Tri-Cities
The Tri-Cities region was rocked by a number of severe, deadly, overnight storms on the evening of Wednesday, April 27, 2011. As GoldAlerts and campus sirens sounded advising the campus community to take cover, the storms produced heavy hail, damaging winds, and eight tornados in the region. President Obama has already declared Washington and Greene counties in Tennessee as federal disaster areas. Should faculty, staff, and students wish to assist in relief efforts, the information and links below will provide information on how ETSU and local organizations are currently providing monetary or other assistance and support directly to those impacted.
How to Help…
The ETSU Staff Senate seeks contributions to help those ETSU families affected by the storms. Staff Senate is collecting monetary and/or gift card donations. All donations will be equally divided among the ETSU families affected. The drive will be conducted from May 2-20, 2011. Checks should be made payable to ETSU. Cash donations can be given to any Staff Senator or sent to the Staff Senate PO Box below. A receipt will be provided upon request. A complete listing of members can be accessed at the Staff Senate website.
Your donations can be mailed to:
ETSU Staff Senate
Attention: Lisa Booher, Treasurer
PO Box 23042
Johnson City, TN 37614
The American Red Cross suggests the best way to help victims of disasters is to:
The local chapter of the American Red Cross can be reached at:
American Red Cross of Northeast Tennessee
501 S. Wilcox Drive
Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone – (423) 378-8700
Fax – (423) 378-8711
Web Site: http://www.redcrossnetn.org
The following groups are also accepting donations for those impacted in the Greene County area:
Emergency Management Agency Greeneville/Greene
310 South Main St.
Greeneville, TN 37745
423-798-1729
Harris Memorial Rural Baptist Church (next door to Camp Creek Elem)
Benevolence Fund
4090 Sunnydale Road
Greeneville, TN 37743
If you have any other items that you would wish to donate, please contact the Salvation Army, American Red Cross or another local organization that can handle such donations. The following group is accepting donations of items listed below:
Freewill Baptist Family Ministries
Children’s Home (near Camp Creek Elem. School)
90 Stanley Lane
Greeneville, TN 37743
423-639-9449
Gatorade, Vitamin Water, food items requiring no cooking or refrigeration; Paper Goods: plates, silverware, cups, napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, disposable wipes, trash bags, cleaning supplies, flashlights and batteries, candles; Personal Hygiene Items: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, brushes, deodorant, mouthwash, razors, shaving crème, towels/washcloths;
totes, storage containers, sleeping bags, tents, blankets, pillows, portable grills, shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, NO CLOTHES, BOTTLED WATER, OR FURNITURE at this time
Support Services
Dr. Jean Daniels, Associate Director of the ETSU Counseling Center, will serve as a liaison to community resources and as the initial university point of contact for both immediate and long term support for all of those ETSU students and employees directly impacted by the severe weather. Dr. Daniels may be reached at (423) 439-4841 or danielsj@etsu.edu.
The ETSU community should be aware of support services for those students, faculty, and staff who may have been affected by this disaster. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a resource for faculty and staff members who need counseling support and referral to other resources. The ETSU Counseling Center provides personal counseling for students, as well as outreach and referrals.Student Organization Efforts
Community Service Programs, housed within the Student Organization Resource Center (SORC), is serving as a clearinghouse for student response efforts. For more information, you may contact serve@etsu.edu.