SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Crews from Arkansas and Missouri are preparing to assist in recovery efforts as Hurricane Isaias made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Friday. The storm brought extreme winds and storm surge warnings to the region.
Missouri Task Force One is on standby, according to Chuck Doss, Assistant Chief of the Boone County Fire District. “We currently have four members of Missouri Task Force One deployed with the FEMA incident support team, which is the overhead team that manages the urban search and rescue teams in the field currently staging ahead of the storm,” Doss said.
In North Arkansas, utility workers are also preparing to assist. Mel Coleman, CEO of North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, stated that a crew equipped with necessary tools is ready to deploy to southern Alabama once conditions allow. “We’ve been planning on this for the last couple of days; they’re ready to go, they’re ready to help, and they’re ready to get down there and get to work,” Coleman said. He noted that while the extent of the damage will depend on the storm's final intensity, significant repairs are expected.
Additionally, Operation BBQ Relief, an organization providing meals in disaster zones, has mobilized its efforts. Director of Operations Skeeter Stone said a team is en route to Pell City, Alabama, where they will stage relief operations. “Right now we’re heading in with all of our equipment and 35,000 meals to help those folks affected and the first responders responding to help out,” Stone explained.
Teams across multiple agencies have undergone training and are awaiting deployment orders. The combined efforts aim to restore essential services and provide support to communities impacted by Hurricane Isaias.