Holly Springs, Mississippi (Tornado) / 1,800 Meals Over 2 Days
On December 23, 2015, an EF4 tornado, which was one of multiple tornadoes in the area, hit northern Mississippi and southern Tennessee. With 170 mile per hour winds, the tornado left a path of destruction over 75 miles long. The outbreak of supercell thunderstorms...
Columbia, South Carolina (Flooding) / 33,255 Meals Over 10 Days
From October 1 to 5, 2015, a historic flooding event affected North and South Carolina. This led to historic rainfall in the Charleston tri-county area. Flash flooding led to significant damage to numerous properties and roads, and many people had to be rescued by...
Coal City, Illinois (Tornado) / 5,510 Meals Over 4 Days
On June 22, 2015, a powerful summer storm including at least nine tornadoes tore through north to central Illinois. Coal City was hit by an EF3 twister with winds up to 160 miles per hour. Widespread damage impacted at least a quarter of Coal City’s residents: 55...
Volunteer of the Year 2014 – John Wheeler
John Wheeler, Operation BBQ Relief’s 2014 Rod Cramer Volunteer of the Year “It’s an honor to even be considered for volunteer of the year. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my family, friends and team members. Thanks to OBR for letting us be a part of...
Wimberley, Texas (Flooding) / 8,700 Meals Over 7 Days
On May 23, 2015, torrential rains falling on the already saturated ground in the Texas Hill Country resulted in record flooding. The towns of Wimberley and San Marcos experienced nearly instant flooding along the Blanco and San Marcos rivers. The Blanco river rose 20...
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Train Derailment) / 500 Meals Over 1 Day
On May 12, 2015, an Amtrak train bound for New York City from Washington, D.C. wrecked and derailed close to a neighborhood in Philadelphia. Eight people were killed and over 200 people were injured. Train service was disrupted for several days, but many passengers...