Tulsa Red Cross Volunteers Head To North Carolina

Russell Hulstine, NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Several Red Cross volunteers will be leaving Tulsa Wednesday headed to North Carolina as Hurricane Irene has its eye on the east coast of the United States.

Two teams from the Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross will be driving to Garner, North Carolina.

They will be driving Red Cross Emergency Response vehicles.

The Red Cross says two men from Bartlesville and two other volunteers are experienced in disaster response. Their exact assignments will be determined as the response effort unfolds in North Carolina or elsewhere along the east coast.

Some of their duties may include preparing shelters for evacuees and coordinating the distribution of disaster supplies.

A two person team of American Red Cross volunteers from Enid are on the way to North Carolina to help with preparations for and response to Hurricane Irene.

Red Cross spokesman Rusty Surette says volunteers left Enid about 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Hurricane Irene was upgraded to a Category 3 storm Wednesday morning as it headed toward the East Coast and evacuations have begun on a small North Carolina island in advance of the storm.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.