TRI-CITIES, Tenn. (WJHL) — Significant rainfall and major flooding events in California have prompted the American Red Cross of Northeast Tennessee to ready their volunteers for potential response efforts.
According to NETN’s Red Cross Executive Director Heather Carbajal, volunteers with the organization from dozens of states are already on the ground in California supporting disaster response efforts.
“Right now in California, we have 42 states – volunteers who are already boots on the ground, doing the work, opening the shelters, making sure people are safe and cared for,” said Carbajal. “In Northeast Tennessee, we have two people on standby, so far, who are just waiting for the call to go. And we have a list of other people that we are calling down to make sure that when the call comes we are ready to respond.”
The local American Red Cross said 26 million California residents have been impacted by rising water levels, with more rain expected in the near future. Thirty emergency shelters were opened, which provided refuge to 580 people on Monday night, according to the Red Cross.
“Right now, there are about 26 million people who are going to be impacted by the flooding, and there is more rain to come; so we don’t know yet exactly what the scope is going to be, but this is going to be another large-scale disaster,” said Carbajal.
