Maryland, D.C. volunteers flock to Florida to help residents impacted by Hurricane Ian
BALTIMORE -- A Category 4 hurricane is punishing parts of Florida.
The eye of Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday.
Yet, with torrential rain and already strong wind gusts, streets are turning into streams and power is out for many in Florida.
As the potentially devastating storm prepares to make contact with the United States, help is on the way from FEMA and organizations from all over the country.
That includes volunteers from the American Red Cross of the National Capital Greater Chesapeake region.
Those volunteers are going into severe conditions to help residents in Florida.
"I'm in Orlando, I'm with a few other Red Crossers," said CEO Dale Kunce. "We've staged here and sent out teams here to set up shelters all over the state."
Kunce said more than two dozen disaster workers from the Washington D.C.-area arrived in Orlando to help as the preparedness window continues to shrink.
"We have 60 trucks here already, 60 more coming," Kunce said. "We have hundreds of Red Cross volunteers standing by."
Hurricane ian taking aim at western and central Florida, sending flocks of people to grocery and home improvement stores, just stocking up on hurricane essentials for the worst-case scenario.
"Last night there were 10,000 people in shelters across the state of Florida," Kunce said. "I think that number is maybe a little bit low."
Meanwhile, others have evacuated the region where rainfall is poised to dump inches.
"I do know the damage to these areas is going to be catastrophic," Kunce said. "Ian is going to be a name that Floridians remember for a very, very, long time."
