UNDATED (WKZO-AM/FM) — The Michigan Red Cross says it has 130 volunteers in the field right now.
Some of them are doing disaster relief in Texas and a number are staged in preparation of damage caused by Hurricane Alma which will be hovering off the west coast of Florida, traveling up the state, doing untold damage as it heads for landfall somewhere in the Florida Panhandle.
They halted shipping new volunteers to Florida at noon Saturday until they have a better idea of the extent of the damage and where it is occurring.
As the powerful storm system eventually moves inland, forecasters say there is an outside chance than an outer band from the storm system could drop some rain in Michigan on Wednesday, but it will pack none of the punch they are felling in Florida today.
Any trucks that are hauling utility crews, relief volunteers and supplies to Texas and Florida are now exempt from state motor carrier rules for hours of service, fuel regulations and can buzz right past weigh stations.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley signed the executive order on Friday. Calley is sitting in the governor’s chair while Rick Snyder travels to Japan and Germany this weekend.
The executive directive also authorizes executive branch departments to provide support and address resource requests sent to the state through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, as they are able.
