Strong storms meant a busy day for emergency response in Mercer County

PRINCETON, WV (WVNS) – It was a busy Friday, September 27th, for emergency response personnel over in Mercer County as strong storms from Helene made their way through.

Keith Gunnoe is the Director of Mercer County Emergency Management. His crew had an operation center set up at the 911 center in Mercer County as calls began to come in.

He said crews were working around the clock to try and assist those in need. He even had to pull crews back several times due to the high winds.

He said when these sorts of situations rise, one of the best things to do is be patient.

“I need people to understand that and to be patient. Honestly, I just need them to stay indoor because that’s the safest place for them. Obviously, people trying to get home and I understand that. More than likely, their impact of travel to and from work will probably be impacted because this is very widespread across the county.”

Keith Gunnoe, Director of Mercer County Emergency Response

Gunnoe said most of the calls he got this early afternoon were due to fallen trees and power lines.

As we go into the weekend, Gunnoe said safety should come first.

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