CALDWELL COUNTY, Ky. — Disaster relief efforts continue after severe storms and tornadoes hit the area over the Memorial Day weekend. That's why the American Red Cross on Wednesday set up a command outreach center to help those affected — one of which is in the Princeton-Caldwell County area where an EF-3 tornado struck.
After the tornado, Owen Morris returned home to find his entire garage destroyed and his home damaged.
“Well, I told my wife before we were pulled back in… I said, 'Just to let you know before we come in that our daughter is safe, we are safe, I said everything else can be replaced,' “He said.
Morris considers himself lucky despite facing some losses, especially since some people in the county have lost their entire homes. Misty Thomas, executive director of the Western Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross, said it was because of the losses that they established a command outreach center in Caldwell County.
“What we're hoping to achieve is really start the first step of their build, helping them create a recovery plan so they know what paperwork they need,” Thomas said.
She explained that the center offers those affected the opportunity to speak one-on-one with a Red Cross case worker. “We'll look at their addresses and we'll see what our damage assessment is. If their assessment is at a severe damage level, then we'll be able to start providing them with some financial assistance to them,”
Thomas hopes the partnership with the Center's Red Cross will make the recovery process smoother.
“We want to make sure they understand what paperwork they're going to need during this recovery process. And collect only those types of data that will really benefit them in their recovery process so we can continue to make those connections for them. They ,”she says.
The Red Cross will have the center open again Thursday at the Caldwell County EMS building from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you are unable to make it to the center, please call 800-Red Cross for assistance. A command center has also been set up in hard-hit Dawson Springs in Hopkins County.
