August 29, 2007
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
This past Sunday evening, a strong tornado struck the town of
Northwood, North Dakota. Preliminary damage assessments performed by
the American Red Cross indicated that over 90% of the homes sustained
damage, including at least 50 that were completely destroyed and at
least 150 with major damages. Northwood, a community of approximately
1,100 residents, is located 35 miles southwest of Grand Forks.
Bonnie Turner, Lutheran Disaster Response coordinator for North Dakota
and head of the North Dakota Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
(VOAD), has shared that many businesses, the hospital, and the school
have all sustained damage, and that the primary power lines into town
are downed, leaving the town dependent on generator power for the time
being.
Turner and Joan Buchhop, also of Lutheran Disaster Response, have
helped other disaster response organizations in performing initial
damage assessments and in establishing a volunteer reception center.
The first volunteers were scheduled to begin clean-up work today. For
anyone who would like to help, volunteers will be coordinated from
McVille State Bank, outside of the city of Northwood on Highway 15, and
only volunteers who have registered at the bank will be admitted into
town.
Turner reports that both Lutheran congregations in Northwood sustained
damage to their buildings. Northwood Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA)
has damage to the roof as well as some structural damage. Ebenezer
Lutheran Church, an Association Free Lutheran Congregation, sustained
major damage to both the church building and parsonage. In addition,
Northwood Deaconess Health Center, a Lutheran-affiliated health care and
aging services center, experienced damage to the roof and windows. All
residents and staff in the center were safe, thanks to tornado drills,
and the residents have been moved to nearby facilities.
Governor John Hoeven and other state officials have visited the area,
and officials from FEMA were on site today to perform assessments of the
damage. It is not known at this time whether FEMA Individual Assistance
funds will be available, but Turner insists that “the state long-term
recovery committee will be activated either way.”
Please pray for the people of Northwood, for Bishop Rick Foss and the
members of the Eastern North Dakota Synod, for President Larry Harvala
and the people of the North Dakota District, and Lutheran Disaster
Response in North Dakota as they serve in these difficult times.
In service,
Rev. Kevin A. Massey
Assistant Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
Lutheran Disaster Response
Bringing Help and Hope...
Phone: 773-380-2748
Fax: 773-380-2493
Visit us on the Web at www.ldr.org
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