Skip to content
NOWCAST KOCO 10pm-10:30pm Weekday Night
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

Oklahoma volunteers head to Kentucky to help those impacted by flooding

Deadly flooding and severe weather swept through the area.

Oklahoma volunteers head to Kentucky to help those impacted by flooding

Deadly flooding and severe weather swept through the area.

STEPPING UP TO HELP. >> SO, WE’VE GOT ABOUT 430 TRAINED RED CROSS DISASTER WORKERS ON THE GROUND IN EASTERN KENTUCKY RIGHT NOW. REPORTER: HUNDREDS OF RED CROSS WORKERS ON THE GROUND IN EASTERN KENTUCKY, AFTER DEADLY FLOODING AND SEVERE WEATHER SWEPT THROUGH THE AREA. >> THOSE FOLKS ARE HELPING PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO STAY, THEY’RE FINDING THEM FOOD TO EAT, FINDING CRITICAL RELIEF SUPPLIES AND OFFERING EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. REPORTER: FOUR OF THOSE 430 VOLUNTEERS ARE FROM RIGHT HERE IN OKLAHOMA. TWO OF WHICH DEPLOYED RIGHT WHEN THE DISASTER HIT, AND TWO MORE JUST TRAVELED THERE YESTERDAY, COMPLETING THEIR FIRST FULL DAY OF HELPING TODAY. OKLAHOMANS, ALL TOO FAMILIAR WITH THIS TYPE OF TRAGEDY. >> OF COURSE, HERE IN OKLAHOMA, THE RED CROSS HELPS US WITH A VARIETY OF DISASTERS, INCLUDING JUST THIS YEAR, WE HAVE ALREADY RESPONDED TO A COUPLE OF TORNADO EVENTS, WE RESPONDED TO A FLOODING EVENT IN THE MUSKOGEE AREA. REPORTER: WHICH THE RED CROSS SAYS, GIVES OKLAHOMANS THE RIGHT EXPERIENCE FOR THE JOB. >> OUR DISASTER STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE ON THE SORTS OF OPERATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON IN KENTUCKY RIGHT NOW. REPORTER: THOSE VOLUNTEERS WILL CONTINUE TO HELP AS LONG AS THEY’RE NEEDED. IN THE LAST WEEK, THE RED CROSS SAYS THEY’VE HELPED COORDINATE MORE THAN 3,000 OVERNIGHT STAYS FOR PEOPLE WHO NOW HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. THEY’VE ALSO HELPED PROVIDE 24,000 MEALS AND SNACK
Advertisement
Oklahoma volunteers head to Kentucky to help those impacted by flooding

Deadly flooding and severe weather swept through the area.

Volunteers from Oklahoma are heading to Kentucky to help those impacted by severe flooding.Deadly flooding and severe weather swept through the area."So, we've got about 430 trained red cross disaster workers on the ground in eastern Kentucky right now," said Matt Trotter, American Red Cross.Hundreds of Red Cross workers are on the ground in eastern Kentucky."Those folks are helping provide a safe place for people to stay, they're finding them food to eat, finding critical relief supplies and offering emotional support," Trotter said.Four of those 430 volunteers are from Oklahoma. Two of them were deployed right when the disaster hit and two more just traveled there on Tuesday, completing their first full day of helping on Wednesday.Oklahomans are all too familiar with this type of tragedy."Of course, here in Oklahoma, the Red Cross helps out with a variety of disasters, including just this year. We've already responded to a couple of tornado events. We've responded to a flooding event in the Muskogee area," Trotter said.Which the Red Cross said gives Oklahomans the right experience for the job."Our disaster staff and volunteers have a lot of experience on the sorts of operations going on in Kentucky right now," Trotter said. The volunteers will continue to help as long as they’re needed. In the last week, the Red Cross said they’ve helped coordinate more than 3,000 overnight stays for people who now have nowhere else to go.They’ve also helped provide 24,000 meals and snacks.

Volunteers from Oklahoma are heading to Kentucky to help those impacted by severe flooding.

Deadly flooding and severe weather swept through the area.

Advertisement

"So, we've got about 430 trained red cross disaster workers on the ground in eastern Kentucky right now," said Matt Trotter, American Red Cross.

Hundreds of Red Cross workers are on the ground in eastern Kentucky.

"Those folks are helping provide a safe place for people to stay, they're finding them food to eat, finding critical relief supplies and offering emotional support," Trotter said.

Four of those 430 volunteers are from Oklahoma. Two of them were deployed right when the disaster hit and two more just traveled there on Tuesday, completing their first full day of helping on Wednesday.

Oklahomans are all too familiar with this type of tragedy.

"Of course, here in Oklahoma, the Red Cross helps out with a variety of disasters, including just this year. We've already responded to a couple of tornado events. We've responded to a flooding event in the Muskogee area," Trotter said.

Which the Red Cross said gives Oklahomans the right experience for the job.

"Our disaster staff and volunteers have a lot of experience on the sorts of operations going on in Kentucky right now," Trotter said.

The volunteers will continue to help as long as they’re needed. In the last week, the Red Cross said they’ve helped coordinate more than 3,000 overnight stays for people who now have nowhere else to go.

They’ve also helped provide 24,000 meals and snacks.