WINCHESTER, Ky. — Red Cross volunteers from across the country have sprung into action to help the families devastated by flooding in Kentucky, including one man from right here in Tampa.
Frank Hall, a volunteer from the organization's Tampa Bay chapter, hopped on a flight to Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon. He'll join in the efforts to assess the damage left behind by the severe weather and determine how to best support people in the coming days and weeks.
It's been nearly a week since floodwaters consumed parts of Appalachia, killing at least 37 people. On Wednesday, rescue missions were winding down while supplies continued pouring into what looms as a massive relief effort for people whose homes were destroyed. Some escaped the fast-rising waters with only the clothes on their backs.
The first round of expenditures from a relief fund opened by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was being distributed Wednesday. The money will pay the funeral expenses of flood victims.
“The least we can do is grieve together," the governor said during a briefing Wednesday. "And seven days out, these funerals are about to start.”
The statewide death toll remains at 37, Beshear said, though state leaders expect that number to increase.
Meanwhile, temperatures were soaring Wednesday as people continued shoveling out from the wreckage. The rising heat and humidity meant heat index values near 100 by midday, a steam bath that will continue through Thursday evening, the National Weather Service said.
Cooling centers were opened after forecasters warned of the risk of heat-related illnesses in an advisory issued for the flood-ravaged area.
More than 1,300 people have been rescued, and crews are still trying to reach some people who remain cut off by floods or mudslides. As of Wednesday, about 5,000 customers still lacked electricity in eastern Kentucky, the governor said. Emergency shelters and area state parks housed hundreds of residents who had homes destroyed or damaged.
More than 400 National Guardsmen have been deployed across the disaster area, delivering water and other relief, while volunteers across the devastated region are serving up meals.
Beshear said it's a time for people to lean on each other and urged them to seek help in dealing with the trauma.
“Remember, it’s OK not to be OK," the Democratic governor said. "I don’t think our brains or hearts are designed to deal with trauma and loss at this level.”
To donate you can visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. You can learn more about volunteering for the organization here.