Idaho Red Cross workers leave for Florida relief efforts

It’s being called the most powerful Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Felix in 2007.

It’s Hurricane Matthew and it’s set to hit Florida Thursday night. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared states of emergency.

To prepare and respond to disaster relief, Red Cross crews are headed to the Sunshine State.

“We have teams that are being requested all across the nation to come and help,” said Rusty Devereaux, disaster program manager.

It’s all part of a multi-state response by American Red Cross. Team members from Idaho’s Red Cross are headed to Orlando.

Three members from the Boise and Idaho Falls Red Cross groups met in Pocatello Thursday to drive the state’s emergency response vehicle, normally stationed in Boise, to Florida. It’s a drive of nearly 2,400 miles. More Red Cross members from Idaho will be meeting the team in Florida.

“As Hurricane Matthew is coming in, we’re preparing, we’re leaning forward, we call it, in anticipation of a massive disaster that’s going to be happening,” Devereaux said.

Red Cross workers will be helping in shelters, providing meals and other assistance to hurricane victims and evacuees. With more than two million people already evacuated, eighty shelters went up in Florida overnight to prepare for the mass disaster and more are expected to be set up in the next several days.

The Idaho team hopes to reach Orlando by Monday and start aid at the shelters. The ERV will be filled with supplies when the team arrives in Florida.

The Idaho team isn’t the only state responding. More than 500 red cross volunteers and approximately 90 ERV’s are on standby in affected states. More than 100 other ERV’s have been called in from around the U.S. And 30 trailer loads of supplies like food and hygiene kits are being brought in.

“This is going to be a massive, massive response that’s going to be happening,” Devereaux said. “If it continues on the path, and it’s all if, but the way it’s projected now, it’s going up the coast. And it’s not like it’s just going to hit one town and be a massive disaster. It’s going to hit one after the other, after the other going up.”

Devereaux said Idaho’s volunteers could be deployed for about two weeks, some could be even longer. Devereaux said it’s all volunteers and it’s a great feeling to provide service to those in need.

“This is a perfect example of neighbor helping neighbor,” he said. “This is our way to give back in the community. If we had a big disaster here, people would come out of state to come help us. And so it’s our turn.”

Devereaux said part of their job is also helping with the aftermath.

“After the disaster’s gone, there will be damage assessments,” he said. “So then that means people will go in, similar teams, and they’ll look and they’ll say how bad the damage was and then we’ll start doing casework with local people that have been affected that have lost their homes and don’t have a place to live, and so then we’ll start assisting them.”

Donations to help disaster victims can be made at www.redcross.org. All money donated goes toward buying supplies for shelters in Florida.

The Red Cross also has an app to download on smartphones. It’s called the Red Cross Emergency App and it tells you how many shelters are nearby and where they are. You can also set it for emergency alerts and other safety information.

For anyone looking to find friends or relatives who may have been evacuated, people can visit the Safe and Well website the Red Cross has set up. Any hurricane victims who have registered at Red Cross shelters will be on the list.