Two people from the American Red Cross in the Southern Tier have been deployed to the Midwest where tornadoes and flooding caused widespread damage and destruction. In all, eight volunteers from the Western and Central New York Region are deployed to impacted areas, joining 600 other Red Cross volunteers in recovery efforts.
The Red Cross has mobilized teams to begin conducting damage assessment in the affected areas. Disaster workers are on the ground providing shelter, food and comfort to impacted residents.
Among the volunteers deployed to the region is Jeanne Frey, of Binghamton, who is helping with Recovery Services in Missouri, and Diane Zavada, of Vestal, who is working at Red Cross shelters in Oklahoma.
In Oklahoma, the entire state is under a state of emergency. The Arkansas River is above flood stage and voluntary evacuations have been ordered in the Tulsa area. The Red Cross has nine shelters open. The Red Cross also has shelters open in Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas due to flooding in those states.
In the Dayton, where a powerful tornado touched down Monday night, the Red Cross has opened several shelters where people impacted by the devastating storm can find food and shelter.