Kentucky companies send crews to aid Hurricane Idalia victims

Lexington, Ky (WTVQ) — Hurricane Idalia made landfall this morning and is already causing severe damage across several states.

Kentucky is doing it’s part in helping. The American Red Cross and Kentucky Electric Cooperative have teams in South Carolina and Florida already aiding locals.

“The Kentucky region has five people on the ground that are there right now waiting out the storm,” said Steve Cunanan, Regional CEO for American Red Cross. “They just got the all clear so they are out right now and we are waiting to send many many more. So right now there are about 500 people on the ground in Florida.”

The American Red Cross plans to send out more people once damage is assessed. Cunanan says they already have shelters set up with around 300 people there, after being displaced.

Kentucky Electric Cooperatives sent out crews this morning to South Carolina.
Joe Arnold, KEC’s spokesperson says that they plan to send crews to Georgia, if they are needed.

“Our co-ops have a long history of helping each other out,” said Arnold. “In terms of natural disasters and other emergencies. So, some of the cooperatives where we’re going to help today actually those same co-ops sent workers to Kentucky. And so really this is a family affair. This is an opportunity to help our brethren who are currently suffering, when they’ve helped us in the past.”

Emergency Disaster Services has sent crews to Florida, making base camps to help aid crews. These camps are a place for them to sleep, eat and work out of.

Director of communications Matt Daley says he’s proud of the work they’ve done.

“That’s a sense of pride, but you know it’s a job and we’re very specialized in what we do,” said Daley. “It’s kind of a niched community, folks who do this kind of work base camp services. You know we’re gone from our families a little more than we want to, but that’s the nature of this business and we’re still happy to do the work that we do.”