West Tennessee Red Cross helps hurricane victims

JACKSON, Tenn. — It’s now been three days since Hurricane Harvey hit the coast of Texas.

Now it is a tropical storm, and it is still causing major destruction.

Local Red Cross chapter volunteers are on the way to the coast to help with disaster relief, but the chapter is also preparing for what the storm may bring to West Tennessee.

Julie Mabry has lived in Houston for nearly 20 years, but never has she experienced a tropical storm like Hurricane Harvey.

“It’s just sitting on top of Houston, and after it comes back into the gulf, it’s supposed to hit Houston again.”

Disaster relief teams from all over the country, including the Red Cross chapter in West Tennessee, are helping those like Mabry, who may have lost everything.

“We have many superstar volunteers, and they immediately came out of the woodwork and asked if they can be deployed,” said David Hicks, director of the local chapter.

Hicks said their disaster assessor is already in the affected area, and even more volunteers may be deployed later this week.

Not only is the Red Cross helping with the devastation in Texas, but they are preparing for what the storm might bring when it hits in West Tennessee.

“We’re a little concerned about the residual effect of the hurricane here locally,” he said.

Volunteers like Derrick Byrum are preparing to open shelters in case of flooding but said, whether they are helping locally or in Texas, their goal is the same.

“It doesn’t even feel like we’re giving anything,” Byrum said. “We’re literally just here doing what we love and making people smile at the end of the day.”

Red Cross volunteers said a typical deployment for disaster relief can take up to two weeks.

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross or are interested in becoming a volunteer, visit the “Seen on 7” section of our website.