Local volunteers head to hurricane zone

CINCINNATI - As Hurricane Earl churns its way towards the eastern seaboard, Tri-State volunteers are heading to the area to help out.

The American Red Cross is currently staging volunteers in Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states to prep for the category three storm, and it's sending volunteers from the Cincinnati branch to Rhode Island.

The main job of the volunteers will be to support mass care operations, which include feeding and sheltering residents who may get displaced.

"More than likely, they'll be part of a large feeding operation," said Ron Hakes, Director of Emergency Services for the Greater Cincinnati Red Cross.

"We don't have the people come to us, we go to them, we bring the food to them, we bring the information to them, we help to bring the recovery to them."

Hakes estimated the local volunteers should arrive in the hurricane zone by mid-morning on Friday.