Five Ways to Help Lee County Tornado Victims
Twenty-three people lost their lives and dozens more were injured in the powerful tornado that swept through Lee County Sunday. Many lost their homes, loved ones, and pets. Here are five ways to help those affected.
Update — March 22, 2019 – 3:00 p.m.
Donate Supplies or Money
You can donate perishable supplies at Greater Peace Baptist Church. Goree’s Furniture is taking items such as food, diapers and clothing. They’ll pick up the items.
Greater Peace Baptist Church: 650 Jeter Ave, Opelika, AL 36801
Goree’s Furniture: 334-742-0607
Want to give money? The Red Cross of East Alabama and the Salvation Army are accepting donations, and the United Way of Central Alabama created a disaster relief fund.
More options:
Samaritan’s Purse International Relief
Community Foundation of East Alabama Tornado relief
The Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund
Volunteer
Church of the Highlands is organizing volunteers to help those in need and to assist in clean up efforts. Text the word “response” to 74000 to get updates on ways to get involved.
Give Blood
The East Alabama Medical Center has treated more than 40 people after the tornado. You can make a blood donation through LifeSouth. The Opelika location is at 505 E Thomason Circle, 36801.
Help Lost or Displaced Pets
Opelika Animal Hospital is boarding displaced pets for free.
Help with Shelter Needs
Smith Station Fire & Rescue is distributing donations.
You can also follow the Lee County Emergency Management Agency on Twitter for volunteer and donation updates.
Know of more to add to the list? Let us know. Email news@wbhm.org.
4 astronauts splashdown on SpaceX capsule to end Axiom Space’s private Ax-4 mission
The private crew included Ax-4 mission commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. It was her fifth trip to space and extended her record-setting duration to 695 days, the most of any American.
Heavy rains and flash flooding sweep across Northeast
Flash flood watches and warnings were in place in parts of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and surrounding areas as downpours moved through the region.
With temporary protections for some Afghans set to expire, appeals court steps in
An appeals court late Monday stepped in to keep in place protections for nearly 12,000 Afghans that have allowed them to work in the U.S. and be protected from deportation.
HBO’s new Billy Joel documentary is revelatory — even if it pulls some punches
The new two-part documentary, which premieres Friday on HBO, is a good example of the tension between access and objectivity that filmmakers face in making documentaries on celebrities.
A wildfire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. It burned down once before
The Grand Canyon Lodge is the only hotel on the park's North Rim, which is closed for the rest of the season due to wildfire risk. The hotel was already rebuilt once, after a kitchen fire in 1932.
Why the Federal Reserve’s building renovations are attracting the White House’s ire
The Fed's $2.5 billion headquarters renovation is attracting mounting criticism from the Trump administration, which had been already attacking the central bank for not cutting interest rates.