Connecticut organizations ready to help with Hurricane Milton relief

NEW LONDON, Conn. (WTNH) — The Connecticut chapters of the American Red Cross and Salvation Army already have volunteers on the ground to help with hurricane relief efforts after Milton tore through central Florida.

Michael Baldelli with the American Red Cross said he expects to leave for Florida on Friday. He’ll join a ten-person Salvation Army team in the worst-hit area.

“Right now, we’re still assessing the area, trying to see which areas have the most need,” Baldelli said. “I expect it to be a lot of debris. A lot of water, probably.”

He said feeding and hydration are their main missions, but they offer other assistance on what may be the worst day of these hurricane victims’ lives.

“We have trained staff members who are trained specifically in emotional and spiritual care, and from my past experiences getting deployed to disasters, sometimes people just want to talk,” Baldelli said.

Richard Branigan, the CEO of the Connecticut Red Cross, is among the chapter’s three dozen volunteers heading to Florida or already manning emergency shelters. He said their primary focuses are sheltering and feeding.

“We have over 750 Red Crossers in the state of Florida right now,” Branigan said.

The Connecticut National Guard said 16 Connecticut soldiers are part of aircrews now assigned to two helicopters in North Carolina. They and other national guardsmen are still waiting to find out if they will also be needed further south.

Eversource also waits to hear if its crews are needed in Florida as local utilities assess the damage. Meanwhile, AmeriCares says it will deploy staff members to Florida on Friday.

“We’ll be here until we’re no longer needed by the community,” Branigan said.

The Salvation Army said that they will support long-term clean-up and recovery efforts beyond the emergency needs.

“When it comes to emergency disaster services, the Salvation Army is typically the first to arrive and the last to leave,” Baldelli said.

He said he expects to be in Florida for at least two weeks.

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