LIHUE — Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Hawaii are being deployed to help tens of thousands of people in the path of Hurricane Dorian.
Five are deploying to Georgia — four from Oahu and one from Kauai — with more on standby. They will be assisting with mental health, sheltering, planning and logistics.
The storm continues to strengthen and is taking aim at the southeast coast of the United States. While the exact path of Dorian is still uncertain, 19 million people live in areas that could be impacted and as many as 50,000 people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina may need emergency shelter.
“As the millions of people brace for this powerful storm, we are doing everything in our power to bring comfort and hope to everyone in Hurricane Dorian’s path,” said Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the American Red Cross Pacific Islands Region.
The Red Cross is coordinating with community partners and emergency responders to prepare evacuation centers for people who may seek shelter over this Labor Day weekend, a press release said.
They are also coordinating hundreds of trained volunteers, emergency-response vehicles and more than 30 tractor-trailer-loads full of relief supplies to help people in the path of the storm.
Dorian is now expected to hit Florida even harder than previously thought, prompting a widened state of emergency.
The hurricane has the potential to make landfall on Monday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane (131 to 155 mph), and could be the strongest direct hit to Florida’s east coast since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Source: The Garden Island
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