Red Cross in Georgia mobilizes volunteers ahead of Hurricane Ian

ATLANTA - While Hurricane Ian is inching closer to Florida, officials with the Red Cross of Southwest Georgia said they have been preparing their response for more than a week.

The Red Cross has dozens of volunteers in place and they are getting ready to open shelters ahead of Ian making landfall, which is expected as early as Thursday morning.

"We will be there to serve Georgians when they need," Red Cross of Southwest Georgia Executive Director Adelaide Kirk said.

As of 11 p.m. Monday, forecasters believe south Georgia residents can expect to feel that strength in the form of tropical force winds.

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Kirk said Red Cross officials have watched the forecast closely and they anticipate Ian may be one of the strongest to hit Florida in a few years.

"The projection is for it to strengthen a good bit before it actually makes landfall," she explained. "The whole Red Cross disaster cycle services team has been leaning forward since mid-last week and really thinking about what the potential impacts have been."

Red Cross is now preparing to mobilize its team of about 75 staff members and volunteers in the days before Ian’s arrival.

"If we have actual impacts after the storm, we’ll have teams that come out and do damage assessments and feeding and all different functions so it definitely is Georgians helping Georgians," Kirk said.

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She says organizers have pre-identified 11 shelters in south Georgia and have resources ready to go. The Red Cross will send its volunteers down to set those shelters up over the next two days.

"We have shelter trailers that are full of cots and blankets and all the materials you may need to open a shelter," Kirk said. "We’re putting those things in place all across southern Georgia so that we’re prepared for Georgians as well as any Floridians that may incur evacuation orders."

For other residents who don’t need to evacuate, Red Cross officials recommend they start thinking about how they’ll prepare at home.

"Do you have a disaster prepared kit? Things that include water, flash lights and medication for a few days in case something happens," Kirk explained.

As of Monday evening, Georgia Red Cross officials have not geared up for a major impact in the Atlanta area, but said they will have more information on locations for shelters in south Georgia in the coming days.