Portlight Disaster Relief 

Got off the phone moments ago to the Salvation Army officer involved with aid for TN, GA and VA. Based on the conversation they are needing similar supplies that was gathered for Arab at two locations.

If anyone hasn't donated or has come in to an excess of money and needs something worthwhile to spent it on please consider make a donation to Portlight.

It's through donations that we are able to help these areas and they need a lot of help!

I have a donor who wants to donate a vehicle SUV. She is out of Signal Mountain, TN. She is hoping to give the vehicle to a someone affected by the tornados in AL.

I was contacted today by a Salvation Army Major based in Bristol, TN, she informed me that Glade Springs was denied being classified as a disaster area and therefore not eligible for government support from FEMA, even though the town has been very much devastated by an F3 tornado.

She informed me that a lot of people did not have insurance and not only have they lost their house and all their belongings but also they have lost their jobs because the business district was also hit.

So what this means now it is left to us as volunteers and as individuals to step up and pickup where the government has failed to do so.

I know a lot have given already, but try to find it within yourself to give just a bit more and together as whole we will help out those who are less fortunate than us.

My dentist is donating 3 cases of toothpaste ... this might be an idea for you to ask your dentist and see if they will donate some samples.

If anyone is able to gather supplies and are in the Southeast you can contact me via WU email system, or you can contact the Salvation Army directly and ask them to forward the supplies to Major Peggy Mullins in Bristol, TN.

Any and all support through sending of donations to Portlight or gathering supplies to be brought into the disaster zones is very much appreciated not only by the volunteers who are running the supplies into the areas and those figuring out the logistics but most of all the donations are greatly appreciated by those who have survived the storms.

I will be going to Bristol either Friday / Saturday.

What supplies are needed:

Baby food
Infant Formula
Baby items (wipes, diapers, etc)
Non-perishable food
Cleaning supplies
Mops and brooms
Bleach
Large heavy trash bags
Any kind of personal hygiene items
Gloves
Water

Major Mullins said the need is very extensive and the above was immediate need.

Bump
Read what Noil wrote, you too can help :)

Leaving for Bristol at 6 am tomorrow and then to Chattanooga and then back to Black Mountain, it is going to be a long day.

Here is a list of what I have for each place:

Bristol:

Cleaning:
3 mops
2 brooms
2 – 1 gallon bleach
1 – 64 fl oz pinesol like cleaner

Hygiene:
6 large shaving cream
1 pkg – 10 razors
72 - .85 oz toothpaste
12 – 3.5 oz toothpaste
24 – oral hygiene kits (toothbrush, dental floss and picks and case)
57 – bars of soap
6 – medium sized bottles of shampoo
4 – medium sized pump bottles of antibacterial hand sanitizer

Other:
24 – small first aid kits (consists mostly of various bandages)
5 LED flashlights with batteries

Food:
2 boxes of saltines
3 boxes of pasta
2 – 2 lb bags of rice
2 large cans of pasta and sauce
2 small cans of pasta and sauce
4 cans of beans
1 ketchup
2 small cans of whole kernel corn
3 cans of “Chunky” soup
1 box of cereal bars
2 cans of chili

Chattanooga:

Cleaning:
1 mop
2 brooms
2 – 1 gallon bleach
1 - 64 fl oz pinesol like cleaner

Hygiene:
6 large shaving cream
1 pkg – 10 razors
36 - .85 oz toothpaste
12 – 3.5 oz toothpaste
24 – oral hygiene kits (toothbrush, dental floss and picks and case)
57 – bars of soap
4 – medium sized bottles of shampoo
4 – medium sized pump bottles of antibacterial hand sanitizer

Other:
24 – small first aid kits (consists mostly of various bandages)
5 LED flashlights with batteries

Food:
2 boxes of saltines
3 boxes of pasta
2 – 2 lb bags of rice
1 large cans of pasta and sauce
2 small cans of pasta and sauce
4 cans of beans
1 ketchup
2 small cans of whole kernel corn
2 cans of “Chunky” soup
1 box of cereal bars
1 can of chili

Have a safe trip. Wow, what you are doing is awesome. Tell Major Mullens hellos for me :)

Noil,
Have a safe trip across. We are still collecting supplies here in Summerville, SC. Let me know what is needed and we can determine an approach to get more supplies where they are needed.

Received today,


to the portlight.org and weather underground


It is from the bottom of our hearts that we the ******* Family send our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your timely and compassionate response to our request via the weather underground website.

To have had a simple funeral and Services for our Loved one would have been likely impossible without your organizations timely help.

Our deepest Thank you again.

Miss E. *******

Quoting Patrap:
Received today,


to the portlight.org and weather underground


It is from the bottom of our hearts that we the ******* Family send our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your timely and compassionate response to our request via the weather underground website.

To have had a simple funeral and Services for our Loved one would have been likely impossible without your organizations timely help.

Our deepest Thank you again.

Miss E. *******

just heartbreaking...

I am back, though it was a very rough trip back weather-wise, got into some major thunderstorms and in the process my 4runner took a direct hit from lightening on I-75 N.

Main thing I am fine never felt a thing but it seems to have cooked my amateur radio rig. :(

Any supplies gathered now need to go directly to Greeneville, TN, working on establishing a good contact there with the Police Department. So please keep donating!

In the meantime ... I need to get my vehicle to my mechanic and see if I have any lurking damage.

Over all the trip up to Bristol was pretty uneventful, the Salvation Army was glad to get the supplies. In Chattanooga I was welcomed like a celebrity at the warehouse, I guess being the second trip from NC all the way there got some notice. And they were really appreciative of the supplies.

Despite what churches in the Greeneville area may be posting on their websites about being in the rebuild phase awaiting me in WUmail was a request from an individual who asked for assistance for her community. So I would really like to take what Jason has and if I can add to it and bring it to the folks in Greeneville, TN.

I have heard back from Bill Brown, Greeneville, TN EMA, and they are needing more agriculture focused items that are not typically considered in normal donations.

Here is his needs list:

Barb wire and post, electric fence post and smooth post insulators, electric fence wire and laundry detergent.

Having helped out on a farm for some time, the best compromise on electric fence wire is 14 gauge, the 17 gauge is too light and often breaks.

Update for Greeneville, TN list:

They also need household items like coffee pots and microwaves.

Check out OSHNBLU's tornado pics of tornado damage in Tenn and Georgia.

Quoting OGal:



Check out OSHNBLU's tornado pics of tornado damage in Tenn and Georgia.

Thanks for sharing those WU users photos, often when I am bringing in supplies to areas it is dark and you don't see a whole lot.

It is an epic failure on the part of the national media for not covering this for more than 24 - 48 hours.

Camp Creek, TN EMA is looking for the following:

Several items are immediately needed:

* Tarps and tents
* Blankets
* Sleeping Bags
* First aid supplies: bandages of all sizes, antimicrobial wipes, and hand sanitizers.

Sure you folks are aware of this stuff but found it interesting:
The tent that turns into concrete in less than 24 hours

Jeff Masters does not want a comment for 24 hours by that time it may well be all over for the East coast USA, just as the future of Libya, so exactly o' meteorology 2D readers how do satellite images resolve hurricane problems and damage, I can see how 3D process work might have so done and some attention to needed flood and coastal works, especially build structures to an adequate standard and believe me those have declined in the UK as well as NZ to meet some of the USA failures and complacency. What is the point of our teaching meteorology and small climate structures to students for engineering standards if nobody listens since 1980 ! Satellites are useful, not half as good as the data that used to be collected and the work of Hurricane Hunters with some good turbo prop aircraft nor as the work of theory by those of us qualified in the 1960s who can work it out freehand. Anyway we have plenty of half baked satellite stuff and a lot of excess cost. So the US Navy is all at sea, best place for it. I hope they do not get sea sick like normal rational people do! Mind you we have some US Navy asbestos junk polluting our country in another British government waste collection deal for men who used to do good ship work made unemployed by Thatcher, about all they seem capable of the politicians, making waste, while US Navy Coastguard Canadian Coastguard and British Navy and Customs used to be the best on earth when I was young and teaching. Union Blue, Debbie Harry. Endless dockyards of waste and talent neglected.