© 2024 WGLT
A public service of Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Central Illinois Red Cross Sends Volunteers To Tornado-Damaged Iowa

Marshalltown, Iowa tornado damage
Charlie Neibergall
/
AP
A local resident runs past a tornado-damaged building on Main Street, Thursday, July 19, 2018, in Marshalltown, Iowa. Several buildings were damaged by a tornado in the main business district in town including the historic courthouse.

Four American Red Cross volunteers from Central Illinois have been dispatched to central Iowa to provide emergency relief in three Iowa communities that were devastated by tornadoes last week.
Red Cross officials said they are sending 22 volunteers in all from central and southern Illinois to distribute meals and disaster relief items and provide health and mental health services. Marshalltown, northeast of Des Moines, was hardest hit in the July 19 storms.

An estimated 600 commercial and residential structures were damaged and power is still out in some areas. The communities of Pella and Bondurant were also hit hard by tornadoes, weeks after the area was devastated by flash flooding.

Volunteers and community partners have delivered more than 30,000 meals and snacks and distributed more than 15,000 disaster relief items, the Red Cross said. The agency also expects to serve more than 1,000 meals in the coming days to the responders helping in the recovery efforts.

The Red Cross is asking for financial help to assist in this and other disasters. You can donate at RedCross.org/Donate.

WGLT depends on financial support from users to bring you stories and interviews like this one. As someone who values experienced, knowledgeable, and award-winning journalists covering meaningful stories in Central Illinois, please consider making a contribution.

Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
Related Content