Convoy heads to Guatemala to help after volcano, storms

A pair of natural disasters in Guatemala has triggered a response from an already busy Convoy of Hope.

The Springfield relief organization dispatched a team to the Central American nation last week following the eruption of the Pacaya Volcano in late May.

According to reports from the British Broadcasting Corp., more than 1,600 people were forced to flee their homes when the volcano, 30 miles south of the capital of Guatemala City, began to erupt. The eruption melted roofs and covered the capital in a layer of ash. At least three people were killed by falling rock from the eruption, according to the BBC report.

"The people said, ‘It was like bullets falling from the sky that went right through our roofs,’" said Convoy of Hope Director of Field Services Paul Coroleuski in a Convoy news release. "Everything was covered in volcanic debris and the water plant as well as most of the crops have been destroyed.”

The volcano was followed days later by the landfall of Tropical Storm Agatha, which Convoy officials say damaged more than 24,000 homes and killed more than 180 people in the nation of 14 million.

Convoy has already distributed more than one ton of food, water filtration units and other supplies to the area and will be providing more supplies in coming days and weeks.

Convoy is still helping with earthquake recovery in Haiti and Chile, as well as domestic storm recovery efforts in Oklahoma and Tennessee. The organization is collecting monetary donations to finance its efforts; more information on how to donate is available at the organization Web site.[[In-content Ad]]