As the Florida Gulf braces for another hurricane, volunteers from Michigan are preparing to continue offering relief.
More than 60 people from Michigan are helping the American Red Cross. They’ve been deployed to multiple states in response to Hurricane Helene and ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Harold West has been volunteering in an Emergency Response Vehicle and providing food to affected communities in Tallahassee. He's now moved his operations to Tampa.
“My mission has changed considerably to organizing what’s called ERVs (Emergency Response Vehicles) and MRVs (Mission Response Vehicles) to where we’re loading up supplies and we’re doing a pre-setup so that after Milton hits, we’re going to be right out there in the community ready to go,” he said.
Hurricane Milton is forecast to make landfall Wednesday, Oct. 9. West said the vehicles contain food, water and other supplies and products that might be in need.
“We will be there," West said. "We’re staging in areas now all over the state, where we’ll have vehicles and we’re ready to as soon as we get the go, we’re going to be out, we’re going to be ready and we’re going to be doing our mission.”
Stacey Ripley is also volunteering in Florida. She's been helping families reunite with loved ones who have been unreachable after the storm.
"Every disaster has its own complexities but the biggest thing is these people in the south have been hit, I believe four or five larger storms right in a row, so its barely getting a chance to stand up before they're getting hit again and again," Ripley said.
She said she's been able to reunite two families so far.
American Red Cross Regional Disaster Officer for Michigan, Latoysa Rooks said Michigan volunteers are among more than 2,000 Red Cross volunteers helping with relief efforts.
She said together with the help of partners, the Red Cross has provided more than 32,000 shelter stays and nearly 400,000 meals and snacks across impacted states.
"Unfortunately hundreds people are still missing and damaged infrastructure is indeed making it difficult for folks to communicate with loved ones," she said.
Latoysa said those having trouble contacting loved ones in affected states should reach out to the Red Cross.
She said the best, and fastest way to help support relief efforts is through monetary donations.
