Local volunteers deployed to Kentucky | News, Sports, Jobs

Chip Pickering is shown Tuesday morning behind the wheel of the Emergency Response Vehicle from the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — The local chapter of the American Red Cross has already deployed volunteers to Kentucky where tornadoes caused death and destruction.

Jan and Chip Pickering of Williamstown and technology expert Bill Webb were deployed to Kentucky, the Pickerings leaving Tuesday morning and Webb on Monday.

Webb will be involved with communications systems while the Pickerings will be involved with feeding and housing, said Sharon Kesselring, executive director of the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.

“He (Webb) was specifically requested to be sent there,” Kesselring said.

A band of tornadoes Friday night and Saturday morning ripped through at least five states, causing at least 88 deaths with 74 so far in Kentucky as of Tuesday. Five tornadoes went through Kentucky, one cutting a swath of 200 miles.

The storm also hit Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri.

About 25,000 homes and businesses were without power in Kentucky where temperatures were below freezing at night. More than 10,000 homes were without water.

“The focus right now is on feeding and sheltering,” Kesselring said.

The Pickerings and Webb are veteran volunteers at other disasters.

The Pickerings drove the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle to Kentucky, Kesselring said. From Paducah, they will be deployed where needed. The usual term of deployment is two weeks, although volunteers can decide to stay longer, she said.

More deployments of volunteers are anticipated, Kesselring said. About 10 people in total from the region have gone to the disaster, she said.