OSHTEMO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo Chapter of the Red Cross will be holding their Zero to Hero training sessions as the disaster relief organization ramps up its manpower with another disaster on the way.
Just as they did in Texas, they are getting supplies and manpower in place ahead of time with Hurricane Irma expected to hit Florida this weekend.
Given the magnitude of the damage in Texas and the potential for disaster in Florida, they will be sending volunteers south for months.
There are reports that 600 members of the 126th infantry of the Michigan National Guard have been put on standby for deployment to Florida, should the need arise.
Their mission would be to provide additional security and perform lifesaving and preservation duties when possible. The unit has bases in Dowagiac and Wyoming but members of the unit come from all over Michigan.
Experts expect the storm surge to be a problem with hurricane Irma, but they think power outages will be a much bigger problem in Florida than it was in Texas.
That’s why utility crews from both DTE and Consumers Energy have been dispatched to staging areas, and will move to devastated areas once Irma moves through.
Consumers has sent 50 of their linemen and another 150 contract linemen and forestry crewmen south. DTE is sending about twice that many.
