How To Help Tornado Victims In Mississippi, Georgia: Charities To Donate To After Storms In The South

Storms and tornadoes ripped through the southeastern United States over the weekend, killing 18 people in Georgia and Mississippi, injuring dozens more and leveling homes.

“Trailers are just flat, just laid on top of people,” rescue worker Debbie Van Brackel told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “You need a bulldozer to pull it off. Trailers are upside down.”

But Monday morning, charitable organizations were already starting Monday to help the victims, which included the residents of Sunshine Acres Mobile Home Park in Cook County, Georgia, where eight people were killed and many more lost their homes. If you're looking to help them — or others affected by the storms — read on for ideas.

The American Red Cross is supporting first responders and providing food and shelter to those in need, the organization told the Atlanta NBC affiliate. It's accepting donations on its website, and you can also donate $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

Samaritan's Purse, Franklin Graham's charitable group, has deployed disaster relief workers and supplies to Mississippi, including to the Hattiesburg area. The group is currently accepting donations online.

The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster has lists of charities and partners for all of the states affected by the storms. The Georgia website, for example, lists more than 30 experienced disaster relief organizations that it recommends donating through. These include Adventist Community Services, All Things New Ministry, Georgia Baptist Relief, Focus Humanitarian Assistance, Rebuilding Hope, the Salvation Army-Georgia Division and the Humane Association of Georgia.

The Mississippi and Florida chapters of the national directory also provide links to local charitable organizations.

This weekend's storm system came just a few months after Hurricane Matthew caused $6 billion in property damage across the same region. President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in October after the hurricane hit the Atlantic coast in October.