Photo: Sue Danielson
(Des Moines, IA) -- Red Cross chapters in Iowa and across the country are preparing ahead of what could be a busy hurricane season. Forecasters are predicting more than a dozen named storms and between three and six major hurricanes.
Emily Holley of the Central Iowa Chapter of the American Red Cross says training is ongoing for volunteers to be deployed out of state or to remain in Iowa for disaster response efforts. She says states typically battered by hurricanes often need to cast a wide net for disaster workers, because local volunteers may be impacted by the disaster themselves.
She says volunteers may deployed for two weeks or so and can choose to work directly with those impacted by the disaster, such as in shelters or feeding programs, or in a behind-the-scenes capacity. She says for those who do not wish to be deployed out of state, there's always a need for trained volunteers to work in Iowa, after floods, tornadoes, and house fires.