Helping the region's tornado victims — give, but don't go, not yet

Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Agency director Mark Winkler, acknowledging the charitable spirit of residents in the wake of weekend's deadly tornadoes, made a plea during Monday's regular meeting of the County Commission.

"Please do not self-deploy. The primary issues at the moment in Mayfield, Kentucky, in particular, are around lifesaving," Winkler said, noting the Federal Emergency Management Agency is "on the ground" in Mayfield and in the Missouri Bootheel.

"In Mayfield, they don't need additional traffic right now," he added, pointing out Dunklin and Pemiscot counties in Missouri were hit by tornadic activity, but the city of Caruthersville was spared.

Winkler said three people died in the Bootheel, with two deaths involving motor vehicles and a third an elementary school girl — 9-year-old Annistyn Rackley.

Rackley perished when a tornado struck the family home east of Braggadocio, Missouri.

A crowd estimated at 200 people gathered Sunday in Reynolds Park along the Mississippi River to remember Rackley.

"In previous disasters, we've seen churches that want to volunteer to go and help — and those responses can occur later, but not now, because they're still trying to get organized," Winkler informed the commission.

Winkler said the best help now is to give money or other items of value to nongovernmental agencies such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and various food banks.

In the wake of the tornadoes, St. Louis-based Schnucks Markets, with a store in Cape Girardeau, announced Monday it will invite customers to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar — with 100% of the roundup amounts to benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Schnucks said this roundup collection will continue through Sunday.