News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Tennessee Disaster Relief Team is on its way back from its latest mission to the Fort Myers area in Florida.
Team Leader Ken Hall said the journey to Florida took almost a day, as I-75 was shut down due to flooding. He said once the crew arrived, they set to work removing trees and cleaning up debris in the community.
“Some areas of Fort Myers, the damage was maybe what you’d see in EF-0 or EF-1 tornado,” Hall said. “Then there were areas closer to the ocean that were just leveled. They had the high winds and storm surge.”
Hall said he was overwhelmed by the kindness of Hurricane Ian victims. He said the community was grateful for the help and were constantly bringing volunteers home-cooked meals and fresh water as they worked.
Hall said returning home after rescue missions typically leave the volunteers with survivor’s remorse. He said one of the things that warmed his heart was that on the trip back, they saw dozens of linemen, power crews, and other emergency volunteer personnel driving down I-75 on their way to help the victims.
