- Pacific
National Guard Performing Wellness Checks
The National Guard is checking to make sure everyone is doing well. Since we're
currently in a state of emergency, the National Guard is all across the state doing
anything and everything to get things back in order. On Monday afternoon, some
members were doing personal health checks in southern Harrison County.
The extreme heat can be very dangerous to our health, especially to the elderly and
newborns. People that have health problems can also suffer. There's been cooling centers
available to folks since early Saturday and a lot of times neighbors look out for each
other. Since thousands were out of power in Harrison County and there's been times the 911
center was down, the National Guard was going from house to house in places like Lost
Creek, West Milford and Johnstown to see how everyone was holding up and getting them the
help they may need. They will continue to do this on Tuesday. Guard members will also help
give out water at the Harrison-Taylor 911 Center on Tuesday starting around 8 a.m. There's
now an overnight shelter for those in need in Harrison County. The Red Cross will set one
up at the 4H Center in Clarksburg. If you would like to stay there, call the 911 Center's
business line at 304-623-6559. (wdtv,
7.02.2012, nicole porter) (Watch the video at the link below) www.wdtv.com/wdtv.cfm?func=view§ion=5-News&item=National-Guard-Performing-Wellness-Checks3843
Ohio National Guard troops headed out Sunday to check on people who might need help as nearly 700,000 Ohio homes and businesses remained without power from severe storms two days earlier.
Federal help also was on the way after President Barack Obama declared that the state was in an emergency.
Obama's federal action late Saturday followed a request by Gov. John Kasich, who had declared a state emergency and called out the National Guard. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials worked Sunday with state officials, the American Red Cross and other relief workers to determine the biggest needs and where to take water, generators and other kinds of aid.
Severe storms that swept the state Friday evening knocked out power to 1 million customers. Kasich called the situation "extremely serious" because of a continued heat wave.
State spokesman Joe Andrews said some 200 Guard troops were launching door-to-door checks in the Columbus area and the Dayton area in southwest Ohio. They were initially focusing on retirement communities and other neighborhoods with large numbers of older people to make sure they have access to water and medications and know that air-conditioned cooling centers were available.
Several cities and local governments opened cooling centers, as did churches, libraries and schools. The American Red Cross opened cooling centers and 24-hour shelters across Ohio, from Lima in the northwest to Portsmouth along the Ohio River to Cambridge in eastern Ohio.
Andrews said Kasich met with the Guard troops before they began Sunday. Troops could be sent to other areas if needed.
American Electric Power said Sunday there were still many downed power lines, poles, and circuit damage from winds it said hit 80 mph Friday. The widespread damage slowed restoration efforts.
AEP said it still had some 475,000 customers without power Sunday, with the hardest hit areas in the central Ohio counties of Franklin, Delaware and Licking counties.
AEP says it was Ohio's worst storm since the state was battered in 2008 by remnants of Hurricane Ike. Out-of-state reinforcements have been limited by big needs in Washington, D.C., and neighboring states that also were hit by storms. More than 3 million people in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and other areas were without power Sunday morning.
Ohio officials said Sunday they knew of only one confirmed storm death. A 70-year-old woman died Friday evening in Muskingum County when a barn collapsed after she had gone to check on animals during the storm.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign pitched in Sunday, accepting donations of water, flashlights and other items at its state headquarters. Spokesman Chris Maloney said a campaign bus would be diverted to delivering donations to hard-hit areas. www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20120702/NEWS01/207020305
"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." Thomas Jefferson