Volunteers from NE FL helping in panhandle recovery efforts after Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael has left a lot of devastation in its wake and right now hundreds of volunteers with the American Red Cross are helping people in Florida's panhandle recover from the storm. Christian Smith with the Red Cross of North Florida says at least 22 of the volunteers are from Northeast Florida.

Smith says there are 2 main groups of volunteers in the panhandle. She says one group is helping to assess the damage and the other is helping to comfort people who are in shelters and impacted by the storm.

“Most of the volunteers right now are doing the basic care and feeding and the sheltering. Making sure that those families have what they need while they’re in the shelters.” Smith says.

Smith says some of the people in the shelters in the Tallahassee and Panama City areas have found out their homes have been damaged or destroyed because of the storm.

“Over the next 24 hours, you’ll start to see those people start coming out of the shelters in places like Panama City, I mean Pensacola, places like Tallahassee, all of those individuals for the most part will have the opportunity to leave and to go back into their homes. And obviously in the Panama City area, where the shelters are there, those families will not have that opportunity.” Smith says.

She says over the next couple of days the Red Cross is expecting to see an influx of case workers and mental health workers in the panhandle.

Action News Jax Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh says Michael made landfall as a strong category 4 storm. Mike says it will go down as the strongest storm to hit the panhandle and Smith expects Red Cross recovery efforts will last in the panhandle at least for months.

“The long-term recovery phase for us as an organization, it’ll continue for many many many months, and probably into years.” Smith says.

If you are not able to volunteer, Smith says the best way to help in relief efforts is to donate money to the Red Cross.

“The best, most efficient, easy way to do it is by going to 1-800-Red-Cross or going to Redcross.org and making that financial contribution.” Smith says.