tornado

Indiana Storm Destroys Town

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Tornadoes have left widespread damage in southern Indiana and a sheriff's official says at least one town of about 1,900 people is "completely gone."

National Weather Service coordinator Bill Whitlock there's "extreme damage" in the area of Henryville, a town of about 3,000 people just north of the Kentucky border. Destruction can be seen for miles and a school district spokeswoman says heavy damage has been reported at Henryville High school.

Clark County Sheriff's Department Maj. Chuck Adams says the nearby town of Marysville is "completely gone."

Indiana Tornado

Officials say they've had difficulty confirming reports due to downed power and telephone lines, but the death toll is rising as of tonight to 14 people, in the aftermath of a series of tornadoes that ripped through southern Indiana. 

Gov. Mitch Daniels said he plans to tour storm-damaged areas on Saturday.

“Once again, Mother Nature has dealt harshly with Indiana. Our every thought is with those we’ve lost and those who have suffered. We’ve learned so much and improved so much in disaster preparedness, warning systems and responder communications, but still we are no match for Mother Nature at her worst. We’re hopeful that we know the full extent of the damage, but it will be (Saturday) before we can give a final report with any confidence," Daniels said.

Disaster Donations Much Appreciated - A letter from Roger Presgrove

Heartbreaking natural disasters over the past few months have shaken thousands of families here in the United States and in Japan.

Within days of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japanese cities, Help The Children mobilized its resources and sent multiple containers of food, clothing and personal hygiene items to help those affected by the awesome catastrophe.

Then, an unimaginable disaster struck in Joplin, Missouri and northern Alabama. In seconds, hundreds of lives were lost. Thousands of American citizens were displaced. Help The Children literally packed trailers full of supplies and quickly traveled to the disaster area to feed, clothe, treat and comfort all of those in need.

The disaster can now be measured in lives lost, the seriously injured and the long suffering. But as the days go by and the physical and emotional recovery begins, it will be with the support of people like you and Help The Children that will measure our compassion for others.

And right now, we need your help! These past calamities have emptied our warehouses. We are out of our non-perishable food supplies. Yes, our shelves are empty! We must re-stock now!

We know that more disasters are going to happen this summer and Help The Children must be prepared. Help us re-stock and get prepared.

Please consider a gift of support right now. Any gift will help. Can you make a gift of $20, $50 or $100 to help us replenish our food supply?

Would you make a gift to help us replenish our medicines and personal hygiene items? We are extremely low and we need your help today. Please go online here and give the biggest gift you can make.

In our compassionate efforts in this country alone, we have helped ease pain and suffering experienced by innocent men, woman and tens of thousands of children. We are committed to help! With your help, we will continue our mission to provide food, clothing, and personal hygiene items and over the counter medicines.

With your support of $20, $50 or $100 or more, we will re-stock the warehouses! We will get back on the road...trucks full and hopes high!

And as we ask for your generous financial support, please know that we want your heartfelt prayers to never cease. Please pray for the people of Japan! Pray for the people in Missouri and Alabama! Pray for America!

We believe that God is in control and our prayers will be heard!

Your prayers and financial support will give thousands of people the opportunity to rebuild their lives in a way that can bring the most comfort during these very difficult times.

Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help us prepare for the next disaster. May God bless you and may His face shine upon you.

For the children,

Roger Presgrove
President


PS. Please don't forget about the hospital we are building in Guatemala. We are close to completion and when the doors open, children will have access for the first time to emergency care. If you are so blessed, please be a blessing to the children in this area who will forever thank you and Help The Children for reaching out to save and better their lives.



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Thank You for the Tornado Donations

Generous Donors,

Thank you to all who have contributed to the tornado disaster relief fund. To date, we have now shipped more than 200,000 pounds of relief supplies to help the victims of the devastating tornadoes, which drastically changed the lives of several hundred children and their families.

It is very hard for most of us to imagine losing our home, and everything else we own, in a matter of a few seconds. Then having to start over by first searching for a place to live until you can get your life back together knowing nothing will ever be the same. Many survivors have nowhere to go, many still do not know if their loved ones are even alive!

But thanks to you, they are beginning a new chapter in their lives and with God's blessing we know that we will continue to help because of caring people like you.

Again on behalf of those who will benefit from your generosity, please accept our deepest appreciation.

Gratefully,

Roger Presgrove
President

Joplin Death Toll Rises

The Joplin tornado, with winds clocked in excess of 200 mph, has been upgraded to EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Damage Scale. This vicious multiple vortex wind tunnel of death has claimed 122 lives, left hundreds more missing and countless victims reeling from the disaster aftermath.

The horror stories continue to flood the airways, and reports of even more storms to come make for an uneasy feeling and haunting questions of, "How do we help?" We, at Help the Children, have received donations and thank all who have contributed for the generosity and encourage others to do the same.

We're getting emergency relief supplies together to be shipped to the Joplin tornado victims. The people of Joplin, Missouri are in desperate need of help.