Coronavirus Causes Challenge For Laura Volunteers

A Huntsville volunteer group is all suited up to travel to Louisiana to help with Hurricane Laura clean-up, but coronavirus is forcing some changes.

At noon.

Thanks kate.

New at five - a huntsville volunteer group is preparing to travel to louisiana to help clean up damage left behind from hurricane laura.... and while the group - called prepare and respond - is used to trips like this one - coronavirus is forcing some changes.

Waay 31's casey albritton is live at "the rock family worship center" after learning what precautions the group is taking as they get ready for the drive... right behind me is a shed full of heavy duty equipment that the group will be bringing... organizer of the trip, danny walker, says usually about twelve to fifteen volunteers travel and operate this equipment...but only half are going because of coronavirus.

He told me the group will leave from this parking lot as soon as possible to help people who have lost their belongings "we could be asked to tarp roofs, we could be asked to cut trees and remove that kind of vegetation debris, and we could be asked to go into a flooded home."

Prepare and respond volunteer danny walker says his group is getting heavy-duty equipment ready to help those impacted by hurricane laura.

"when it's that wide-spread, they certainly need volunteers from our area to come help."

Walker says his group usually stays with a host church...and one church in louisiana is requiring volunteers to get a negative coronavirus test before coming to help.

"that's kind of tough on us to get a quick response test to get the results back so what we are going to do is find other groups that require that."

Walker says the priority is getting to louisiana and helping with the clean-up effort... his team members will wear masks and take other precautions.

"social distancing and all of that will be in place and temperature checks."

Walker says although there's a pandemic--that's not going to stop prepare and respond from helping those in need.

"we've had our fair share of bad storms and the volunteers that came in were such a blessing to us."

Walker told me his group will monitor the weather conditions locally over the weekend-- and if there's no damage in north alabama, the crew will head to louisiana on monday.

Live in huntsville casey albritton,