SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Food Bank and Salvation Army said they’re ready to head to the Texas coast after Tropical Storm Beryl makes landfall.
The storm is expected to hit the Texas Gulf Coast late Sunday to early Monday morning and be near hurricane strength. A spokesman confirmed the Salvation Army from San Antonio and New Braunfels will send assistance on Monday, and the San Antonio Food Bank expects it will also end up sending assistance.
The Salvation Army in San Antonio will send two mobile units to help feed first responders and anyone affected by the storm. Another unit will come from New Braunfels.
“We can potentially feed hundreds of people a day for several days at a time, if the need is there,” spokesman Brad Mayhar told KSAT on Wednesday.
Mayhar said Friday they won’t know where they’ll be sent until after Beryl makes landfall.
San Antonio Food Bank Director of Supply Chain and Logistics Jeff Gonzales said his organization always has water, dry food goods, and hygiene products on hand to send out for an emergency, not only in Beryl’s case.
In particular, the food bank has approximately nine tractor-trailer loads of water — more than 10,000 cases — that could be quickly shipped out. However, the food bank does not expect all that water will be necessary.
Gonzales said the San Antonio Food Bank’s fleet of 45 tractor-trailers could also help.
“Nine times out of ten, the area impacted doesn’t have access to, fleet capacity, so we transport all those items for them,” Gonzales said.
For the latest on Beryl, check out the latest from the KSAT Weather Authority here.