Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief teams are prepared to assist in disaster relief efforts in the northeast part of the country affected by Hurricane Sandy, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Sam Porter, director of Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, said three chain saw teams that include 45 people and one mud-out team of 15 may leave as early as Friday for storm-ravaged areas.
Porter said a feeding team that cooks meals for disaster victims and relief personnel won't be needed, but his other teams likely are to be utilized because of the types of damage wrought by the storm.
“There is more flooding than they were anticipating,” he said, referring to the need for the mud-out crew's aid.
Porter said the chain saw teams may end up assisting areas in places like West Virginia, which has been hit with record amounts of snow and ice that may cause trees to fall.
He said other Baptist agencies in states closer to the affected areas were asked to respond immediately after the storm. He said Southern Baptists have 42 states with disaster relief organizations.
Thus far in 2012, the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief teams have served in the aftermath of disasters in various states, including Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Colorado.
Porter said the Oklahoma teams are on standby to offer assistance and are awaiting a call to tell them where they will be needed.
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