Ohio Red Cross volunteers to help handle Hurricane Helene

CLEVELAND (WJW) –- At least 16 counties in Florida are under mandatory evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Helene , which is expected to make landfall Thursday night around 8 p.m.

Preparations are underway to sure up buildings from the anticipated high winds and strong storm surges, which could be potentially deadly if warnings are ignored.

Helene is projected to strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane by the time it makes landfall.

To assist with ensuring safety for Florida and Georgia residents, the American Red Cross is coordinating efforts to send about 275 trained volunteers to assist — what’s expected to be an all hands on deck situation.

“In Northern Ohio, we deploy volunteers, trained disaster workers who are able to help people with sheltering and feeding and with assessing damage once the storm moves through and with just providing comfort for people who are forced to flee from their homes,” American Red Cross Northern Ohio Regional Communications Director Jim McIntyre said.

Three volunteers from Northern Ohio are already in Florida pre-landfall, including Canton’s Mahogany Coward, a veteran of more than 25 assignments. She will be stationed at a shelter elementary school in Branford, Florida.

“Evacuation shelters, currently we have 25 going all over the state of Florida,” she said. “We welcome anyone to come by the shelter. You may need to charge your phone. You may need water. You may just need some comfort. So, we are opening up those evacuation shelters to weather this storm.”

McIntyre said more volunteers may be called on depending on the impact of Helene.

“More shelter teams are staff on standby just in case the need continues to grow,” he said.

Supplies have also been prepositioned in trailers to aid impacted residents during these extreme weather events. But without donors and volunteers these efforts wouldn’t be possible.

“So we’re asking people if they have it in their hearts to become a trained volunteer and perhaps respond to disasters like this across the country to visit redcross.org,” he said. “And we’ll get them set up for volunteer training.”

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