The Reverend Jeff Blackburn of Greensburg Mennonite Church surveys the tornado damage. Photo: Mennonite Disaster Service (DNN)
A weekend storm system that killed at least 10 people brought some of the most powerful tornadoes the Midwest has seen in eight years.
Greensburg, Kansas, sustained the most concentrated damage from the storm. The storm killed at least eight people and injured 60 others when it tore through the small rural town of about 1,600 located 110 miles west of Wichita.
Steve Hewitt, Greensburg Town Administrator, estimates that 90 percent of the town of 1,500 is destroyed. Search and rescue teams worked throughout the weekend to find survivors in the rubble.
A ninth fatality was reported in a nearby county. Though damage outside Greensburg was minimal, the National Weather Service estimates at least 20 tornadoes originated from Friday night's weather system.
One Great Hour of Sharing funds and funds designated for disaster response in the United States are available for immediate disbursement. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance National Response Team (PDA-NRT) member Don Hampton is already in Wichita, and will be joined by PDA-NRT member Bob Houser. They will connect with the Presbytery of Southern Kansas Office and then proceed over to the affected area, connecting with Pastors in the region.
There are no Presbyterian Churches within Greensburg, Kansas. PDA will support the ecumenical, interfaith, and community disaster response efforts as well as supporting the Presbytery response through Presbyterian Churches in neighboring communities. |
