Three Connecticut Red Cross workers are leaving home for weeks to help out the flooded southeast region of the United States.
The past week of heavy rain has left parts of Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama flooded and has forced thousands to evacuate their homes. There have been a total of 11 deaths as a result of the storms.
Volunteers Bill Gufert of Enfield, Dave Kemp of Vernon, and Red Cross staff person Sarah Egan are leaving for Georgia Saturday to help flood victims.
“You just sit with them,” Egan said. “They come in and they’re so startled and are unsettled with what’s happened.”
Egan and other volunteers are helping the displaced people with shelter and food. They are scheduled to be away from home for three weeks, but could end up staying longer if they’re needed.
Vice President Joe Biden took a helicopter tour of the region on Friday. He promised people they would recover, saying, “This is not going to happen overnight, it's not going to happen tomorrow, but it will happen.”
For Egan and the two other Connecticut volunteers, having the chance to help people in need makes their trip south a worthy cause.
“That’s the most important thing we can offer, is reassurance people care and they’re going to come and do whatever they can.”