How To Help Kentucky Tornado Victims
MINNEAPOLIS (AP/WCCO) -- Dozen of organizations and people are coming together to help out Kentuckians who were affected by the tornadoes and storms this past weekend.
The tornado outbreak Friday that killed at least 88 people in five states — 74 of them in Kentucky — cut a path of devastation that stretched from Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed, to Illinois, where an Amazon distribution center was heavily damaged.
In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll could grow as authorities continued to work around debris that slowed recovery efforts. Nearly 450 National Guard members have been mobilized in the state, and 95 of them are searching for those presumed dead.
"With this amount of damage and rubble, it may be a week or even more before we have a final count on the number of lost lives," the governor said.
Kentucky authorities said the sheer level of destruction was hindering their ability to tally the damage. Still, efforts turned to repairing the power grid, sheltering those whose homes were destroyed and delivering supplies.
How To Help Victims In Kentucky
Beshear said many Kentucky hospitals are treating storm victims and need more blood. The Red Cross says they're experiencing the worst blood shortage in over a decade.
To find a blood donation center in your area, go to the Red Cross Blood Center website and type in your zip code.
The Minnesota Red Cross tweeted Tuesday that 19 responders from all three states in the Minnesota and Dakotas regions are deployed for disaster relief.
#Update - 19 responders from all three states in our Minnesota and Dakotas region are now deployed to tornado relief. We expect this number to increase in the days and weeks ahead as relief efforts continue.
— Minnesota Red Cross (@mnredcross) December 13, 2021
How To Donate To Western Kentucky Relief, Red Cross
Beshear announced Saturday the creation of Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund to collect donations for victims of the tornadoes and storms. All funds will go directly to the victims.
As of Monday, more than 44,000 people have donated over $6.25 million according to the governor's website.
People can also mail in donations. Details are on the website.
Beshear also tweeted out additional ways people can help.
People have shown their kindness and generosity today, asking how they can help.
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) December 11, 2021
➡️If you live in a hard-hit community, are safe and have power, stay off the roads. Let our first responders get to everyone at the fastest speed possible.
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The American Red Cross accepts donations by mail, phone, or online.
Verified Online Fundraiser
GoFundMe has a list of verified fundraisers on its platforms. According to their website, their Trust and Safety team reviews fundraisers created in response to a crisis. The team works to, "verify personal information, the identity of recipients, and they make sure that all funds raised on GoFundMe are going to the right place."
Here is a centralized hub where you can find every verified GoFundMe to support victims & families affected by last night's deadly tornado outbreak.
— GoFundMe (@gofundme) December 11, 2021
Our Trust & Safety team will continue to update this hub with more fundraisers as they are verified: https://t.co/QPe3QevLdu
GoFundMe says they work closely with state and local officials and law enforcement to assist in any investigations.