U.S. Tornadoes

The situation

On the night of May 30, a series of storms, including tornadoes, swept through the Central Great Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley. In Minnesota, heavily affected communities included Eagle Bend, Clarissa and Browerville, where over 100 buildings were damaged. In South Dakota, a tornado impacted the area around the city of Brandon, severely damaging Beaver Valley Lutheran Church in Valley Springs.

Our response:

Lutheran Disaster Response is accompanying both the Northwestern Minnesota Synod and the South Dakota Synod as they respond to the tornadoes. The Northwestern Minnesota Synod will provide basic necessities, including food, clothing, cash assistance and temporary shelter, to impacted community members in the Eagle Bend area. As damage continues to be assessed, the synod will also engage in home repair, trauma counseling and replacement of farming equipment. Such activities are being coordinated by Faith Lutheran Church in Eagle Bend in partnership with other churches in the area. The South Dakota Synod is working with Beaver Valley Lutheran Church to assess its physical damage and begin rebuilding and recovery efforts. The grant from Lutheran Disaster Response will be used for new computers and office supplies, a new copier, storage units and advertising in several publications to inform people of the changes to upcoming community events and worship services.

What you can do:

Pray:
Please pray for the people impacted by these destructive tornadoes. May God's healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Give:
Gifts to "U.S. tornadoes" will be used entirely (100%) to assist those affected by tornadoes.

Connect:
To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
• "Like" Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook, follow @ELCALDR on Twitter and follow @ELCA_LDR on Instagram.