LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — 6 February 2009 — As snow, ice and chilling winds continue to batter the southeast region of the United States, supplies from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are on the ground in Kentucky and Arkansas.
The January ice storm knocked out power for more than 1.3 million residents from Texas to Maine, including 700,000 in Kentucky. In Kentucky, schools have been closed, three-quarters of all counties have been declared disaster areas and downed communication towers have made it difficult to target relief efforts.
The impact seems to be worsening now that the storm is over. With all of the state’s 4,600 national guardsmen dispatched to clear debris and make door-to-door welfare checks, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear called the storm “the biggest natural disaster that this state has ever experienced.”
The Church has also stepped in to provide aid:
- Three semi trucks have delivered hygiene kits, blankets, cots, first aid kits, water, diapers, generators and chainsaws to area shelters.
- Cash donations have also been given to the Lakeland and Madisonville chapters of the American Red Cross in northwestern Kentucky.
- Work crews from Mormon Helping Hands have assisted in clean-up projects in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky.
This article was prepared by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Newsroom at lds.org.