COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- All eyes have been on Florida as Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday night.
Organizations from central Ohio have people with boots on the ground in Florida and other areas of the southeast where Hurricane Helene hit just more than a week ago. The Red Cross Central and Southern Ohio Region has around 80 local volunteers down south right now.
“The response to Helene is going to be ongoing and the response to Milton, if it is as strong as it is shaping up to be and the experts are saying it might be, that response could take a while, too,” Don Hawkins, the regional communication manager for the local Red Cross office, said.
Hawkins said some volunteers are in the areas where Helene hit, helping to clean up, deliver food, and give support to the people in the hardest-hit communities.
Others had been staying in safe areas right outside Hurricane Milton’s wake.
“As soon as the storm clears and it is safe to move into the impacted area, we can then get in there and work with our partners at the local level to make sure that all the needs are being met in the community,” Hawkins said.
The Red Cross isn’t the only organization sending people from central Ohio down south to help out after the hurricanes. The Salvation Army of Central Ohio has a major and a captain currently in Florida, also riding out the storm and ready to help whenever Milton clears.
“I know they hit the ground running and they are just mobilizing wherever they’re needed and filling in the gaps where they’re needed the most,” Maj. Tricia Brennan, the Salvation Army of Central Ohio area coordinator, said.
Brennan said the two arrived in Florida recently, but there is a good chance they’ll be outside once it is safe to clean up debris and help people navigate a scary natural disaster. She expects even more people from Ohio to be called to help over the next few weeks.
“We could always be called at any time, so we’re ready to help wherever we’re needed so if I get that call then that’s what I’ll be doing,” Brennan said.
Both the Red Cross and Salvation Army said the best way for people at home to help in the aftermath of the hurricanes is through monetary donations.
To donate to the Red Cross, click here, and if you are interested in volunteering with the Red Cross down in the southeast, click here.
If you want to donate to the Salvation Army or learn more about their efforts in the hardest-hit areas, click here.
