Baptist and Reflector
MOUNT JULIET — Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief is sending chainsaw teams and other volunteers to assist victims of an EF2 tornado which struck Goshen Township, Ohio, on July 6.
While only three people were injured in the tornado, more than 150 buildings were destroyed or damaged, according to television news WCPO in Cincinnati.
The tornado touched down just after 3 p.m. on July 6, starting north of downtown Goshen Township and traveling southwest for 2.5 miles. At its peak, the tornado was 750 yards wide with wind speeds of 130 miles per hour, WCPO reported.
An incident management team, led by John and Kaye Thomas of First Baptist Church, Sevierville, is currently on sight, said Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Additionly, a combined chainsaw team from West Tennessee and Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, is also on site, along with damage assessors and chaplains.
A chainsaw/ bucket truck team from Knox County Baptist Association will leave for Goshen Township on July 23 and will return July 30, said Stanley Roach, DR director for Knox County. Many of the jobs require a bucket truck and trained bucket truck operators, he added and more qualified people are being sought in those areas.
Jones said additional chainsaw and bucket truck teams are needed the week of July 24-30 and July 31-Aug. 6. Skid steers also would be a welcome addition for the work required in Goshen, Jones said.
Interested teams can contact Jones at wjones@tnbaptist.org or Kaye Thomas at drelief@tnbaptist.org as soon as possible indicating their availability and the with the number of team members. Kaye Thomas also can be reached for more details, at 615-969-0410.
“If you are a trained DR volunteer and want to go with a team, please send me your name, contact information and which week are you available,” Jones added.
Individuals interested in donating to disaster relief can visit the Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief website and click on general disaster relief. B&R