NEWNAN, Ga. — The devastation and destruction in Kentucky hit home for Joel Dover, who witnessed the devastation an unexpected storm could bring firsthand just a few months before.
With landscapes leveled and an estimated 100 people dead due to lines of tornadoes across the South and Midwest, Dover recalled painful memories of losing his church, Calvary Chapel, in Newnan in March.
"It’s like reliving it all over again," Dover said. "It’s complete and total chaos when something like a tornado hits you and you encounter the kind of destruction like what we did in March, and what these sweet people in Kentucky and those other states are experiencing, it’s complete and total chaos. You just don’t know where to start.”
An EF-4 tornado ravaged Coweta and Heard Counties, destroying about 1,700 buildings and leading to a lengthy and ongoing cleanup process. Since the tornado, Dover has leaned on community support by leasing local office space for staff and using schools to hold services and small groups. Dover also remembered churches and people across the country lending aid in the wake of disaster.
Ann Burkly, a Red Cross volunteer based in Atlanta, is about to embark on a two-week mission to Kentucky. She responded to the Newnan tornado, along with wildfires, floods, hurricanes and heatwaves this year alone. In Kentucky, Burkly will engage in spiritual care and help communicate the needs of victims on the ground with people who can help in their situation.
“It’s more like resiliency care, helping a person find whatever it is that keeps them going," Burkly, a near-five year Red Cross veteran, said. "You make that connection, that even though they’re alone in what they’re going through, you’re there to walk alongside them.”
A spokesperson for the Red Cross said the organization had provided more than 160 units of blood to hospitals in response to the tornadoes. In the wake of tragedy, Simone Williams with the Better Business Bureau said people can try to prey on storm victims.
“We’re already in a season of giving, and add on a layer of a natural disaster," Williams said. "A lot of people want to give. Take time to find out how the organization plans to address the immediate and long-term needs.”
Williams said people interested in donating to storm victims should do plenty of research to make sure they are giving to a reputable and trusted organization or charity. Williams said prospective donors should ask exactly how their funds will be used, check to make sure the organization is registered with the state's Attorney General's office and give money instead of goods. To learn more about giving and what red flags to look for, click here. For vetted organizations accepting donations, click here.
Dover said while the people affected by these recent natural disasters heal and recover, they can count on kindness and hope to be there during the Christmas season.
“Right now, they can love on each other," Dover said. "That’s the main thing. When something like this happens, the world gets a lot more local. The barriers just come down, and something like that happens, I think good people everywhere roll up their sleeves and try to just love and help each other.”