UPDATE - Friday, April 16, 2010 - Clarksburg, WV   Disaster Volunteer Responder Training - Free disaster volunteer training is being planned for May 4, 9-4:30 at Clarksburg Office.  New volunteers will need to complete a background check and a health status record. Class is limited to the first 25 students. Pre-registration is required, call 1-888-333-2767 for more information. 

UPDATE - Tuesday, April 6, 2010 – Raleigh County, WV   A coal mine explosion occurred April 5, at around 3:00 p.m near Whitesville, WV. 25 miners were confirmed dead and another 4 still missing.  

Local American Red Cross staff and volunteers were notified early in the evening and have been working with emergency management teams to assist with the response. So far, from the North Central West Virginia Chapter, mental health counselors, who have been trained to assist survivors and family members through a disaster like this, are responding by providing counsel and support.

Currently, the Central WV Chapter American Red Cross team responded to the incident with mass care and canteen support. Two Emergency Response teams have been deployed to a station where families and friends of the miners are gathering. 

We will provide more information as our response develops and best ways to help. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those miners recovered as well as with the survivors and rescue workers at this time.

UPDATE - Thursday, April 1, 2010 - So far this year, the North Central WV Chapter has helped 81 families hit with a local disaster like the McVey house fire. Your donation assures we can continue helping families through the initial devastation. Please consider making a donation to support our response to local disasters.

UPDATE - Wednesday, March 3, 2010 - The American Red Cross is responding to the strong 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, increasing the initial pledge to $250,000 from its International Response Fund for relief operations. In addition, following a request for assistance for Chile, the American Red Cross is now accepting donations specifically for response and recovery in Chile. This includes Chile-designated donations through the Red Cross website; through calls to 1-800-REDCROSS; and by texting "CHILE" to 90999.

The International Federation of the Red Cross on Tuesday made preliminary emergency appeal of $6.4 million to all Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in order to assist the Chilean Red Cross. David Meltzer, Senior Vice President of International Services with the American Red Cross said, "As the largest humanitarian network in the world, the Red Cross has both teh experience and the capacity to respond to multiple disasters at the same time. We are supporting the Chilean Red Cross in their response to the earthquake while relief operations continue in Haiti." 1.9 million people have been helped with the relief operations in Haiti since the January 12th earthquake there. 

Update - Thursday, February 11, 2010  - Shelters on standby - if needed. approximately 1,500  North Central West Virginians are currently without power - most of whom are in Marion County.

UPDATE - Sunday, February 7, 2010 and Monday, February 8, 2010  - The following facilities are operating shelters (see table below) Bunner's Ridge FD is now closed.

UPDATE - Friday, February 5, 2010 -  On the evening of February 4, the Randolph Terrace apartments in Salem, WV caught fire and sustained serious damage. Families were evacuated.