Austin/ Community & Society
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Published on October 10, 2024
Central Texans Rally to Aid Hurricane Stricken Florida, Red Cross Seeks Volunteers and Blood DonationsSource: PCHS-NJROTC, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In the wake of Hurricane Milton's Category 3 landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, Central Texans are mobilizing to offer support to the affected Floridians still reeling from the recent impact of Hurricane Helene. As the American Red Cross grapples with a stretched-thin volunteer workforce after successive disasters—Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene, and now Milton—Central Texans are being called upon to sign up for crucial relief roles.

According to FOX7 Austin, the regional communications director of the American Red Cross, Delia Krippelz, highlighted the critical shortage, stating, "We had Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene, and now Milton, so we are definitely strained right now with our volunteer workforce." With the destruction left from Hurricane Helene still fresh, efforts to quickly and effectively respond to Hurricane Milton hinge on the rapid mobilization of volunteers, particularly for shelter operations.

Meanwhile, individual acts of solidarity are taking shape across Central Texas. Sara Socia, an Austin native who recently moved to Florida, expressed her disbelief and concern to KVUE, "The wreckage and devastation is something I'll never forget seeing because this is just people's lives. And you see it on the news, but seeing it in real life is just life-changing." She evacuated to Georgia, keeping an eye on the developments through her phone.

Aside from deploying to Florida or donating goods, Central Texans can aid by donating blood, a resource that the Red Cross says is acutely needed after Hurricane Helene led to canceled blood drives. "We are asking the community to step up to sign up and become a blood donor if they can," urged Krippelz in the FOX7 Austin feature.