Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Ten Regional Volunteers Deploying to Support Hurricane Florence Response


BUFFALO, NY, Tuesday, September 11, 2018  Hurricane Florence is an extremely dangerous storm and is on track to strike the coast of South Carolina or North Carolina, beginning Wednesday. States of emergency have been declared in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The Red Cross is working in close collaboration with government officials and community partners to coordinate potential response efforts.

Ten volunteers and two Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV) from the Western and Central New York Region are deploying to support the Red Cross response to Hurricane Florence:

NAME                                    HOMETOWN          ACTIVITY                 LOCATION
John Thomas Aldasch            Canastota                   Sheltering                   North Carolina
Pete Bonaccorso                       Fairport                     ERV Driver                 North Carolina
Michelle Fiermonte                 Syracuse                     Sheltering                  North Carolina
Laurie Hagen                            West Seneca              Sheltering                   North Carolina
Thomas Lee Hough                  East Syracuse           Sheltering                   North Carolina
Diana McLaughlin                   Rochester                   Staff Services             South Carolina
Lewis Montemaggi                   Pittsford                    Sheltering                   North Carolina
Deborah Scherberger               Rochester                  Sheltering                   South Carolina
Mark Sennett                             Fairport                     Sheltering                   South Carolina
Deb Thompson                          Lima                           ERV Driver                 North Carolina

In addition, three regional volunteers will be supporting the response virtually: Lucille Frisicano of Webster, Sarah Perkins of Pittsford, and Nancy Hall of Trumansburg.

As we hit the peak of hurricane season, several powerful storms are impacting hundreds of thousands of people across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The American Red Cross is prepared to respond over 9,000 miles of land and sea through the next several days to help those in the path of these storms.

In addition to Hurricane Florence, Typhoon Mangkhut was expected to hit Guam, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific. The storm could bring winds as high as 139 mph, with effects of the typhoon lasting several days. Also, Hurricane Olivia is expected to cross over Hawaii today and Wednesday, and watches are in effect for Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii counties. Olivia is predicted to bring strong winds and as much as 20 inches of rain to parts of the state.

People in the path of these storms should stay informed and take steps to get prepared now. Listen to local radio, NOAA radio, or TV stations for the latest information and updates, and obey any evacuation orders from local officials.

The Red Cross urges these three steps: build a disaster kit, come up with an emergency plan, and be informed about how local authorities will notify you, whether through local media or NOAA Weather Radio stations or channels.

People should also download the free Red Cross Emergency App to have real time information about the storm, shelter locations, and hurricane safety tips at your fingertips. The Emergency App is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

The Red Cross works 24/7 to be ready to respond to disasters such as hurricanes. Please donate to the Red Cross now to help. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

No comments:

Post a Comment