Local American Red Cross members respond to Hurricane Helene relief

Hundreds of American Red Cross volunteers are in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, responding to destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene. 

The American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas has 43 disaster responders on the ground.

Volunteer Kim Mailes of Neosho is in Clearwater, Florida. 

He says that Helene left destruction there but did more damage as it moved on. . .

“We have levels of disaster in the Red Cross. A Level 1 is a home fire. A level 7 is a (hurricane) Katrina. In North Carolina right now, they’ve got a level 7 going on. It’s just 150-year event and then it’s just catastrophic.”

Jackie Kennedy of Joplin’s chapter of the American Red Cross tells Newstalk KZRG:  

“We deploy people from all over the United States. We have people locally here that have been deployed, that go out and provide that disaster response and help with the sheltering and trying to canvas areas.   Right now a lot of people are still unreachable. I think you can see that the death toll climbs immediately, every day it goes up. And what the red cross does really just respond to those immediate needs to whatever you need, he’s when you lose everything.”

Hurricane Helene cut a 500-mile path of destruction, leaving millions without water, electricity, and other necessities. 

The death toll has topped 160 with more expected. 

You can donate by going to RedCross.org