Red Cross Call Center In Philly Helping Answer Calls From Hurricane Harvey Victims
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Many of those affected by Harvey in Houston have been calling the Red Cross for help, and in many cases those calls are picked up in Philadelphia.
There's always an emergency call center open here at Red Cross Headquarters in Center City.
"Our normal operation is to handle 27 regions in the country, including our own," said Local Red Cross CEO Judge Rene Cardwell Hughes.
Hughes says when a major disaster like Harvey strikes, they bring in a separate set of volunteers to handle calls from the affected area. Hughes says they heard from people in Houston who are in dangerous and frightening situations.
"We do get calls in which people are stranded. One of the reasons they call us is 911 in Southeast Texas is overwhelmed," said Hughes.
And with the victims of the flooding feeling overwhelmed themselves, Hughes says the last thing they need is to call for help and have no one answer.