| U.S. News

The early morning storm included a series of three tornadoes from the Gulf of Mexico that sliced through central Florida packing up to 165 mph winds before spilling into the Atlantic Ocean near New Smyrna Beach.

A reported 20 people in the Lady Lake and Lake Mack areas perished and an estimated 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed. Property damage was estimated at about $70 million with that amount expected to rise.

Donations collected by Catholic Charities USA will be used to fund Catholic Charities of Orlando’s recovery efforts.

The Orlando Diocese Catholic Charities is coordinating its response efforts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and other local agencies.

Catholic Charities USA reported Feb. 2 that Catholic Charities of Orlando had already sent out more than 3,000 ready-to-eat meals to meet the immediate needs of families who were made homeless or left with out electricity as a result of the storms and had mobilized 200 volunteers.

In addition, the Orlando Catholic Charities has made its mental health counselors available to survivors and those who have lost a loved one.

To help the local response, Catholic Charities USA mobilized 1,000 packets each of clean-up kits, light weight blankets, health kits and baby kits. It also made an additional 5,000 meals available to Catholic Charities of Orlando.

Catholic Charities USA, which has been commissioned by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to represent the Catholic community in times of domestic disaster, responds with emergency and long-term assistance as needed. Its Disaster Response Office connects the church’s social service agencies and disaster planning offices across the nation.

To contribute to the tornado fund: contact Catholic Charities USA by telephone at (800) 919-9338, or on the Internet at www.catholiccharitiesusa.org. Checks for the relief effort can be sent to: Catholic Charities USA, Orlando Tornado, P.O.Box 7068, Merrifield, VA 22116-7068.

Catholic Charities USA’s members – more than 1,700 local agencies and institutions nationwide – provide help and create hope for more than 7.1 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds.