The tornadoes that ripped through Illinois on Dec. 10 have tugged at the heartstrings of many local communities and interest groups. While there is no doubt that the affected communities will have a long road to recovery, state and local officials have an urgent warning for those who are currently collecting donations for tornado survivors.

A flood of unsolicited donations is what disaster relief groups often call ‘the second disaster.’

Mass deliveries of donations require agencies to redirect valuable resources away from the critical core life-safety missions to oversee donation manag...