Georgians head to Louisiana to assist hurricane survivors

ATLANTA - A dozen Red Cross volunteers from Georgia were headed to Louisiana to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Delta that made landfall on Friday evening. The Category 2 storm gave a second hit to the Lake Charles area that was already hard-hit by Hurricane Laura just a few short weeks ago.

The storm comes as the Red Cross already has volunteers dispatched across the U.S. to assist with other disasters.

"We have 50 to 55 Georgians deployed all across the country," Red Cross Regional Disaster Officer Danella Hughes said.

The volunteers are spread as far as California to assist with wildfires and Texas, during the busy hurricane season.

Equipped with shovels, masks, and gloves, the organization opens shelters and provides PPE for those living through nightmares.

"With COVID-19, our mission is still the same. We still deliver and are still there with clients who are there with disasters," Hughes said.

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Hughes just returned to Georgia from a deployment in north Florida, where Hurricane Sally left a path of destruction.

The 12 from Georgia, and six from metro Atlanta, headed to help those dealing with Delta will remain in Louisiana for 12 to 14 days.

"Our volunteers have such a passion to help others," Hughes said.

Hughes said the coronavirus makes helping others all the more difficult.

"We make sure we facilities are open, safe, secure, and follow CDC guidance," she explained.

Those shelters are socially distant, volunteers wearing masks, and clients can provide them to clients.

There are fewer red vests on the ground for social distancing, but Hughes said virtual help is a phone call away.

"That’s what’s going to get us through the next pandemic, to make sure we’ll always be there for our clients in time in need," she said.

Georgia Power is also ready to help victims of Hurricane Delta. More than 100 power teams are heading to Mississippi right now, in anticipation of major outages.

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To become a Red Cross volunteer, click here.

You can also reach out to the organization by phone. The number to call is 1-800- 733-2767.