Red Cross and Salvation Army ready teams to send to Florida and southern Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are on the front lines of helping those in need when disaster strikes. Both agencies are preparing for every possible scenario as Hurricane Ian eyes Florida.

“Just really been on a planning timeline the four or five days,” said Adelaide Kirk, Executive Director of American Red Cross Southwest Georgia

Ian continues to rapidly intensify, on track to hit Florida as a Category 4 as early as Wednesday.

HURRICANE IAN 2022 | Full coverage

The Red Cross Southwest Georgia region has already deployed a small contingent of staff and volunteers to Florida. They say more could be sent in the coming days. The Red Cross is also sending teams to southern Georgia where they’ll set up shelters for people facing evacuation orders both here in Georgia and Florida.

“So, we identify shelter locations that folks can go to. Also, for Georgia citizens, who feel like if they experience tropical force winds that their homes are not safe, perhaps someone lives in manufactured housing that type of thing,” said Kirk.

While the Red Cross is providing shelter for those in need, the Salvation Army is feeding them. They’ve stocked up more than 50 mobile canteens with food and supplies. Right now, they’re on standby.

“If Ian comes in a particular area of South Georgia, then we’ll just focus on moving everything from across the state in that area, but there are actually already units and volunteers trained and supplies in those areas already,” said Major Bob Parker of Salvation Army Georgia Division.

Floridians are already seeing empty store shelves. People are buying up water and other supplies.

Atlanta based The Home Depot says they’ve begun the planning process of mobilizing supplies, like generators, flashlights, batteries, and building materials from their stores across the south, ready to send to Florida.

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