BENTON COUNTY -- Yakima River waters could swell to 13 feet as early as noon Friday, according to Benton County Emergency Services, and could rise above flood stage by Saturday morning.

The threat of flooded pastures and livestock, roads and homes threw the Red Cross into action.

"It sounds kine of funny but we're on standby to be on standby,"Jeanne Jelke said, Executive Director for the American Red Cross, Benton-Franklin Chapter.

"This is where we have the coffee and the food containers," Jelke said, showing me the emergency equipment.

Emergency vehicles sat ready, loaded with shelter tents and cots.

"We have wash clothes, towels and blankets," Jelke said. "Here are our comfort kits for women. It's got women's toiletries in there."

Supply rooms also sat stocked.

"I think this is probably a little more of a concern this year than in years past," Jelke said.

Lots of snow and then lots of melted snow meant Red Cross will needed extra hands.

"We have two skillets here," Garry Bedfield said, Missions Director for the Columbia Basin Baptist Association.

"We're very concerned. The unit was basically put together to put our local area first," Bedfield said. "That's our first priority."

Columbia Basin Baptist Association is one group on the volunteer list.

"We've put on standby, just waiting for the call to respond," he said.

THEY TOO ROUND UP A TEAM OF UP TO 75 VOLUNTEERS. THEY have THE EQUIPMENT TO SET UP TEMPORARY CANOPIES, AND A TRAILER FOR COOKING EQUIPMENT.

"We can usually have a feeding unit unloaded and set up in a couple of hours," Bedfield said. "If we needed to we could probably do 4,000 meals in a day."

Disaster relief volunteers hope that the waters won't flood. But if they do, you can count on them for help.

The flood warning for the Yakima River near Kiona was extended through Sunday.

Flood stage is 13 feet and the river could hit as high as 15 feet. But right now only minor flooding is expected. The river is only about half as high as it's likely to get.

Things are much more dire on the west side where the red cross is already helping flood victims and may send volunteers from our area as well.