East Texans Aiding Florence Disaster Relief

EAST TEXAS — East Texans are busy helping out with Hurricane Florence relief. Red Cross of East Texas in Tyler sent five volunteers to the Carolinas and Virginia before Florence arrived, and the Longview Fire Department dispatched a fire captain trained in water rescues. According to our news partner KETK, Red Cross volunteers Allan and Janet Sherman headed September 11 to Texarkana to pick up an emergency response vehicle bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, said East Texas Executive Director Tammy Prater. She added David Brown of Gilmer left last week to meet a driver in Oklahoma headed to Virginia.

Longview fire Capt. Steve Dankers of the department’s fire rescue team left for North Carolina a week ago, Fire Marshal Kevin May said. May said water rescue work could involve saving people trapped on rooftops or in their cars, “just people that are needing rescue due to high water.”