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Last week, torrential rains caused flooding in Spencer, Candor, Newark Valley and Honeoye within our Empire State Division of upstate New York.
The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services volunteers stepped into action to help those impacted by the floods. Volunteers John and Myrtle Whitcomb prepared meals and fed over 100 people in Spencer as volunteers helped to repair flood damage to the Bible Baptist Church of North Spencer and the North Spencer Christian Academy. The Whitcomb’s also travelled throughout Tioga County completing damage assessments.
Several families in Spencer needed hotel accommodations reported Rod Ballengee, regional services coordinator for The Salvation Army. He also reported that the Army provided food and meals for six families in Candor and six families in Newark Valley.
In Ontario County, the Army provided cots for Richmond Volunteer Fire Department in Honeoye. The fire department opened a shelter at the fire hall as over 140 homes were damaged forcing some residents to evacuate and several roads washed out, Rod said.
Rod cited that there was great collaboration with the Christian community in Spencer. He also thanks Service Unit volunteers Alicia Hatch in Candor and Nellie Snap in Newark Valley for reaching out into the community to help.
Rod also shared a heartfelt moment from Saturday’s Strawberry Festival in Owego. Rod took one of the Army’s mobile feeding units, which is based in Elmira, to participate in the Tioga United Way’s parade unit (as the Owego Service Unit receives funding from the United Way). As he drove through the parade route, hundreds of parade watchers filled the streets and all stood, cheered and applauded as The Salvation Army identified mobile feeding unit drove by. Rod said, “I’ve never experienced anything like this, but Owego residents still remember how Emergency Disaster Services volunteers helped the village during the devastating flood four years ago. Over 90 percent of the village was underwater from flooding due to Tropical Storm Lee.”
Tags: Disaster