(TNS) - As the country buckles down to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, local governments are in constant contact with officials from the state and federal levels to ensure they have the necessary supplies.

Overseeing that process in Clark and Floyd counties are the emergency management agencies [EMA]. Each county’s EMA has set up emergency operations centers, where representatives from multiple organizations coordinate response efforts.

Floyd County EMA Director Kent Barrow said his team is accustomed to dealing with natural disasters like floods and tornadoes. Previous disease outbreaks like the 2009 H1N1 pandemic required an emergency effort as well.

What’s happening due to the spread of COVID-19, however, is unlike anything Barrow’s ever witnessed.

“It wasn’t anything like this,” he said of previous disasters. “I don’t know if there is anything you can compare it to.”

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