Gassville, Arkansas
Arkansas Relief – Gassville Tornado Response
February 2008 – March 2008
AHAH supported recovery efforts in Gassville, Arkansas following a damaging tornado, clearing debris and repairing homes in the affected area.
Disaster Profile
Dozens of Homes Destroyed and Many More Damaged in Gassville
After a tornado tore through Gassville Arkansas on 2/5/2008, destroying 79 homes and leaving a further 100 severely damaged, we launched Project Gassville in an effort to restore some of the damage.
Our Response
Supporting Long Term Recovery Through Volunteer Coordination
Following evaluation of the damage and meeting with local churches, city officials and volunteers, we determined a need for greater coordination of resources and volunteers. The Mayor of Gassville, Danny Smith, welcomed our teams, offering office space inside the City Hall and Community Center complex.
We set up and managed the Gassville Coordination Center (GCC), which focused on the coordination of responding volunteer organizations – ensuring a fast and efficient response to resident requests. The GCC hosted weekly coordination meetings where local, state, and federal government officials could interact with community organizations and local faith based organizations. The GCC’s inter-agency coordinative services effectively connected survivors to food, housing, clothing, and organizations providing financial assistance.
We ended the 21-day project by transitioning the Gassville Coordination Center over to two AmeriCorp members. They provided Gassville with long-term recovery support for the next two months.