An unidentified man paddles a canoe to rescue residents and their belongings at a flooded apartment complex after Hurricane Helene passed the area on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ron Harris)

The American Red Cross of Western New York has sent 15 volunteers from the Western New York area to assist with relief efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

So far, the only local resident called upon through the Red Cross is Nicole Roma, who serves the Red Cross as regional volunteer services officer. Roma is a county resident who is currently helping with relief efforts in Georgia. She said volunteering for relief efforts like this is extremely important.

“By dedicating time and skills, volunteers help alleviate suffering, restore hope, and promote resilience,” Roma said. “This commitment not only makes a difference in the lives of those affected but also fosters a sense of community, reminding us all of the importance of compassion and action in times of need.”

The 15 Red Cross volunteers join a contingent of more than 1,400 Red Cross disaster workers already on the ground, with more expected this week. Hurricane Helene is the strongest storm ever to strike the Big Bend region of Florida and the third hurricane to hit that area in 13 months. According to the Red Cross, Helene broke storm surge records across the Gulf Coast, including the Tampa Bay region. Record flood crests were measured in at least seven locations in North Carolina and Tennessee. Helene smashed records in parts of western North Carolina that had stood since the “Great Flood” of July 1916. Asheville, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia eclipsed their respective two-day rainfall records that had stood for more than 100 years. A few hours after landfall, the National Weather Service had more than 20 flash flood emergencies — their highest level flash flood alert — the most issued for any day in at least 13 years. The Red Cross estimates that Helene likely destroyed up to 10,000 homes based on initial assessments, and that nearly 15 million people were without power as of September 27.

Michael Tedesco, Red Cross regional communications director, said that there are about 2,000 volunteers with the Red Cross throughout the Western New York region who serve the residents of those 27 counties every day.

“When large scale disasters strike in other regions of the country, we may reach out to our volunteers via email or mass text based on needs expressed by the local Red Cross,” Tedesco said. “In this case, and as always, our compassionate volunteers responded, with 15 volunteering to deploy as of Monday evening and more likely to follow.”

Volunteers that are currently helping with relief efforts come from every corner of the region, Tedesco said, and from all three Chapters, which are Western New York, Greater Rochester and the Southern Tier. Tedesco said most of the volunteers will be assisting with sheltering and feeding operations.

“Our shelters are designed to provide a safe respite for those who have been displaced by the hurricane, providing a place to sleep, have meals and snacks, and receive support from Red Cross volunteers,” Tedesco said. “When conditions are safe to do so, other volunteers may be involved with using our Emergency Response Vehicles to deliver meals to people who may lack power but choose to remain in their homes. Still others may be involved in conducting damage assessments or providing health or spiritual care services to those impacted by such a devastating storm.”

Based on the ferocity of and damage caused by the hurricane, Tedesco said Red Cross volunteers could be needed in affected areas for several weeks, if not months. He added that the duration of each volunteer’s deployment depends on individual circumstances, but the Red Cross tends to ask for a period of at least two weeks, due to the cost of logistics such as travel to get them to their destination.

“We recognize that self care is an important aspect of the volunteer experience so we do not expect volunteers to serve beyond that,” Tedesco said. “As some volunteers return home, others may be deployed if needs continue.”

Both Tedesco and Roma said the Red Cross is always looking for more volunteers. Those interested in volunteering can visit redcross.org/volunteer, or contact the Western New York Chapter office to speak with a volunteer services representative at 716-664-5115. People can also help by donating to the Red Cross’s efforts.

“Our volunteers often tell us that they ‘get more than they give’ from their volunteer experience and the sense of fulfillment they feel from helping others,” Tedesco said. “We are always looking for additional volunteers but people can also support our mission of alleviating suffering by making a financial contribution. Relief efforts of this effort carry substantial costs, and we are responding to more disasters than ever before. To maintain our readiness and ability to respond to disasters we rely on the support of donors, and every dollar helps.”

Donations can be made at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-Red Cross, or texting the word HELENE to 90999.