The Salvation Army of Georgia Prepares for Hurricane Ian’s Historic Impact
Atlanta, Georgia (September 29, 2022) — The Salvation Army of Georgia is preparing resources and personnel to meet the immediate needs of survivors and first responders ahead of Hurricane Ian’s potentially historic landfall in Florida. Ian comes just days after Hurricane Fiona ravaged Puerto Rico, where The Salvation Army is still serving survivors and first responders. As Hurricane Ian is tracking toward Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency, and The Salvation Army of Georgia is on standby.
Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 storm the night of Wednesday, Sept. 28, on the west coast of Florida. If Ian stays on its projected path, it will mark the first direct impact of a hurricane in the area since 1921. Main concerns include a heavy storm surge leading to severe flooding conditions along the coastline. With the entire state of Florida now under a state of emergency. As Georgia is now under a state of emergency, The Salvation Army is “carefully monitoring Hurricane Ian and have mobile feeding units and disaster response teams along the Florida coast prepared to respond,” said Major Bob Parker, Divisional General Secretary for The Salvation Army of Georgia. Of those mobile feeding units, The Salvation Army of Georgia has 21 mobile feeding units and one field kitchen that is ready to mobilize. About 1 million residents are planning to evacuate ahead of landfall, The Salvation Army is positioning resources and personnel to respond to widespread needs as efficiently as possible, and The Salvation Army of Georgia is prepared to take in thousands of evacuees ahead of their anticipated arrival.
"Disaster relief is always about the long game," said Lanita Lloyd, Divisional Emergency Disaster Services Director for The Salvation Army of Georgia. "It's about helping people to get their houses and their communities rebuilt. It's also about providing long-term emotional and spiritual care to disaster survivors as much as we can, because sometimes the recovery on the inside can be harder than the recovery on the outside."
Disaster response updates can be found below:
Ian Prep/Initial Response:
- Nationally, The Salvation Army has as many as 74 mobile feeding units, 21 of which are coming from The Salvation Army of Georgia, and one field kitchen ready to mobilize across the impacted area immediately after the worst effects of the storm are realized.
- Each unit can feed 500-1,500 people per day.
- The Salvation Army has also started to serve some of the predicted 1M evacuees at a few shelters in Florida and Georgia.
- Two major warehouses in Tampa, Florida, and McDonough, Georgia, (near Atlanta) are being prepped with food, water, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and anything else that will be needed by the thousands of people in the storm’s path.
- In Georgia, mobile feeding units and emotional and spiritual care services are being prepared for those affected by the storm.
Due to the state of emergency announcement made by Gov. Brian Kemp, The Salvation Army disaster personnel are collaborating with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies and other social services organizations such as the Southern Baptist Feeding Kitchens to monitor ongoing impacts and adapt response efforts.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s continued response, visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.
To make a financial gift to support Hurricane relief efforts:
- Donate online: www.HelpSalvationArmy.org.
- Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
One-hundred percent of designated disaster donations go to direct services for survivors and first responders. At this time, we are not accepting gifts in kind.
About The Salvation Army of Georgia:
Since 1890, The Salvation Army of Georgia has been serving our community for 132 years.
About The Salvation Army USA:
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 25 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,200 centers of operation around the country. During times of disaster, 100% of designated donations to The Salvation Army are used for immediate response and long-term efforts. In 2021, The Salvation Army was ranked No. 2 on the list of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.