The State Emergency Operations Center has been activated as the first major winter storm system rolls in.
The weather service says some parts of southern Missouri might see six to eight inches of snow with lighter amounts as far north as Interstate 70…with bitter cold right behind. The severity of the story and a long period of dangerously low temperatures have led the Governor to order the emergency operations center to go on 24-hour duty to coordinate emergency services wherever they’re needed.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike O’Connell says people needing emergency help should contact their local emergency operations offices first. If local areas need additional resources, they seek them from through the operations center.
The center is a clearinghouse for emergency response groups such as the Highway Patrol, which can provide additional support to local police, or the Red Cross, which can set up shelters, or the National Guard, which often delivers generators to farmers and others when storms knock out power.
O’Connell says the state web site, MO.gov is a good source for storm assistance information.
AUDIO: O’Connell interview 6:52
