BASF donates $50,000 toward Seneca tornado relief

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Chemical manufacturer BASF Corp. has gifted $50,000 to the city of Seneca Relief Fund following the touchdown of an EF-3 tornado in the city on April 13.

The donation, housed at Oconee Federal Bank, will be used to support victims of damage wreaked by the tornado, according to a news release

“We are deeply saddened to see the devastation left in the wake of last week’s tornado, but we know that the Seneca community is strong and resilient,” Tom O’Rourke, site director for BASF’s Seneca location, said in the news release. “BASF is here to help our neighbors begin the process of rebuilding, and we are committed to supporting the people in our community who were affected by the tornado.”

At BASF’s Seneca site, a staff of 400 people refine precious metals and manufacture specialty chemical catalysts for pharmaceutical companies, water treatment media manufacturers and other customers, according to the release. The North American affiliate of the German-based BASF SE is headquartered in New Jersey but has six locations in South Carolina.

“As residents of Seneca and the surrounding communities begin the slow process to recovery after the massive destruction and heartbreaking loss of life in the aftermath of the tornado that devastated our area, the city of Seneca is so thankful for and humbled by the generosity and compassion shown to our citizens by our local friends and partners at BASF,” Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander said in the release. “We will work diligently and swiftly to make sure these funds go directly to the people who need it most.”