Iowa Sends Hero’s! 17 Red Cross Volunteers Respond to Hurricane Ian; More To Deploy (PHOTOS)
According to a press release from the American Red Cross; Seventeen volunteers from Iowa are supporting the response to Hurricane Ian, which made landfall on Wednesday (9/28). Some volunteers have been in Florida for days, not only preparing for the storm, but supporting residents who have evacuated their homes.
In Addition, Red Cross emergency response vehicles from Waterloo and Burlington are scheduled to depart for Florida soon.
Currently 730+ trained Red Cross disaster workers from across the country are supporting the relief effort, with more are on the way. Wednesday night (9/28), more than 33,000 people sought refuge in approximately 260 evacuation shelters across Florida to escape Hurricane Ian. As conditions slowly improve over the coming days, response efforts will expand as evacuation centers transition to emergency shelters.
Prior to the storm, the Red Cross mobilized 83 truckloads of cots (movable beds), blankets, comfort kits, and relief supplies. Plans were made to help as many as 60,000 people.
Hurricane Ian is expected to make a second landfall Today (9/30) with tropical storm warnings out for Georgia and the Carolinas and flooding possible this weekend across the Appalachians. The Red Cross is also preparing to assist in those areas.
Anyone interested in supporting those affected by Hurricane Ian can visit redcross.org.
Volunteers from Iowa are also in Puerto Rico to support Hurricane Fiona response efforts and in Alaska as part of the response to Typhoon Merbok.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.
Footage Of Aftermath In Florida From A Local News Station (11Alive YouTube Channel)