Tornado recovery underway Here's how you can help or find assistance in Anne Arundel

Community members and elected officials have began looking for ways to help after a tornado ripped its way through parts of Annapolis and Edgewater Wednesday.

Both the city and Anne Arundel County have declared states of emergency, which allows them to deploy resources to residents' health and safety and is also the first step in applying for state aid. The storm would have to reach a threshold of $9 million in damages to be eligible for federal relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Anne Arundel County also launched a new online portal, at http://www.aacounty.org/damagesurvey, Thursday for residents to report damage, but they can also call 410-222-0600. The Department of Public Works also deployed dumpsters for residents to dispose of storm debris in the 400 and 1900 blocks of Shore Drive in Edgewater, and in the lot across from the Woodland Beach Volunteer Fire Department.

The city and county set up a resource center at Mount Olive Community Life Center, on 2 Hicks Ave. in Annapolis to assist residents affected by the storm with insurance applications and other relief. The center is open from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In Annapolis, residents in need of assistance can contact the Call Center at 410-260-2211. Intake for residents seeking shelter is at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center, 273 Hilltop Lane in Annapolis.

Those in need of transportation should call the Call Center for assistance. Red Cross of Southern Maryland, which is helping to staff Pip Moyer, expected to assist about 40 people, according to Ashley Henyan, Communications Director for the Red Cross National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region.

And while local officials and organizations have started assessing and cleaning up, community members have started to rally to help neighbors and businesses affected by the tornado.

Here are some ways to help. If you know of an organization or program that is helping others that should be added to this list, email tips@capgaznews.com.

How to help those affected

Monetary donations: An Annapolis Tornado Recovery Fund has been set up to help those affected through Annapolis-based nonprofit Blessed in Tech Ministries. Donations, which will help purchase gift cards for those affected, can be made through the fund online at https://blessedintechministries.org/ under Annapolis Tornado Recovery Fund or by mailing a check or money order payable to Blessed in Tech Ministries, Inc., P.O. Box 5931, Annapolis, Maryland 21403.

As businesses in Annapolis look to recover, some have GoFundMe and other fundraisers set up.

On Facebook, loyal customers banded around Chris' Charcoal Pit on West Street. Annapolis Takeout group founder Jeanne Campbell Poole started a GoFundMe to help pay staff members as the building gets repaired. A GoFundMe was also set up for Panther Auto Body on Lee Street, which had its roof torn off.

Communications Director for the Red Cross National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region Ashley Henyan said dropping off items like food and clothing can actually complicate operations at the scene of the tornado too early on.

People whose homes are destroyed don't have a place to put things. She suggested making a financial donation to the Red Cross, signing up to volunteer with the Red Cross or donating blood, which is often needed after natural disasters as scheduled blood drives are canceled.

To make a financial donation to the Red Cross that is assisting displaced residents in Anne Arundel, go to RedCross.org/donate.

HOPE For All is a nonprofit based in Glen Burnie that provides clothing, furniture and more to families that Anne Arundel County government agencies and nonprofits refer to them. In the aftermath of the tornado they are assisting families in Annapolis. To donate to this organization, go to https://secure.givelively.org/donate/hope-for-all-inc.

Non-monetary:To donate food and other items to the Annapolis call-center for the office of emergency management and the effort at Mount Olive Church, call 410-260-2211.

Red Cross volunteers are needed as a busy disaster season continues.

For information on how to train as a Red Cross volunteer, go to RedCross.org/volunteer.

Annapolis is hosting a "community clean up" Sunday in Parole for volunteers to help residents whose homes or property were affected by the tornado. Volunteers are encouraged to bring gloves, wheelbarrows and other gardening equipment and meet at 12 p.m. outside the Parole Health Center on Drew Street.

Capital Gazette staff Rachael Pacella, Lilly Price and Brandi Bottalico contributed to this article.

Caption: A crew from Lewis Tree Service cuts up a large oak tree across Drew Street in Annapolis on Thursday after a tornado ripped through the area. Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun