Tornadoes ripped through the Ozarks, leaving hundreds homeless

The American Red Cross Greater Ozarks (Missouri) Chapter helped hundreds of families pick up the pieces after the devastating tornadoes of May 4, 2003.

On a statistical report dated May 26, 2003 from the American Red Cross, five counties (Barry, Christian, Dallas, Greene and Lawrence) in the Greater Ozarks (Missouri) service area sustained damage. In those five counties, 394 homes were destroyed, 167 homes had major damage and 305 had minor damage. Red Cross volunteers served 82,931 meals/snacks during its response in the affected areas.

During this time of reflection, your Red Cross would like to remind you of steps your family can take at home now to prepare for an emergency. By following these five steps, you can be prepared to handle an emergency: make a plan, build a kit, get trained, volunteer and give blood.

Lifesaving information is available at www.redcross.org and www.redcross-ozarks.org. Click on the Together We Prepare icon for more on how to make a plan, build a kit, get trained, volunteer and give blood. Or you may stop by your Red Cross general office located in Springfield at 1835 East Chestnut Expressway.

Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross is a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 chapters and Blood Services regions dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by 1.2 million volunteers and 30,000 employees, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to families affected by more than 67,000 disasters, trains almost 12 million people in lifesaving skills and exchanges more than a million emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products to more than 3,000 hospitals across the nation and also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts at locations worldwide.