Even as Hurricane Ida destroys parts of Louisiana, people from Connecticut are already stepping up to help.
The American Red Cross is just one of the organizations in our state finding a way to help. Eleven responders from all over Connecticut were deployed in advance of Hurricane Ida.
The Connecticut and Rhode Island Red Cross Region believe a large-scale effort will be needed following this monster storm. Volunteers are helping to open dozens of evacuation shelters all the way from Texas to Florida to offer people a safe place to stay. For more information, visit their website.
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It's estimated that in Louisiana alone, at least 10,000 people will head to shelters.
"We already have some volunteers already there. We have some on call ready to go there in the next week or two. We also have some volunteers helping virtually from home. So we are ready to help in whichever way they need us to help," said Red Cross Communications Manager Andreina Sosa.
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Another organization in the state is also joining the relief effort. Stamford-based Americares has sent an emergency response team to the Gulf Coast to help out more than two dozen clinics in Louisiana and Mississippi, including an offer to provide items such as essential medicines, vaccines and medical supplies. Click here for more information.
Eversource is also preparing crews to head south. The electric utility told NBC Connecticut that about 40 line crews will leave Monday morning to join what's anticipated to be a major power restoration effort.
The workers traveling to Louisiana are coming from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, according to Eversource. Visit their website for more information.
Save the Children based in Fairfield said they're mobilizing their emergency response team to help children and families living in areas that will be hardest hit by the storm.
The organization said they will provide essential items to help impacted families continue to care for their children, including hygiene kits, diapers, wipes, and portable cribs. Save the Children said they'll also be working with local education partners in Louisiana and Mississippi to help restore child care and early learning centers that may be impacted by the hurricane.
“Children are always among the most vulnerable when disaster strikes, and our thoughts and hearts go out to children and families in the pathway of this dangerous storm,” Jeanne-Aimee De Marrais, Save the Children’s senior director for U.S. Emergencies, said in a statement. “Save the Children is committed to helping kids get the support they need, both in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ida and long-term.”
Click here for more information.
