Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
With Hurricane Gustav wreaking havoc on people's lives in the southeast, Utahns are responding with lots of help.
The volunteers we talked to said they felt compelled to help victims of Gustav because it was the right thing to do. They're giving up three weeks of their time to help people they've never met before.
When Nanette Davis heard from the local Red Cross that a category 3 hurricane was heading toward New Orleans, she jumped.
"Two days ago they called and asked if I was ready to deploy, and I said, ‘Yes I am,'" she said.
Davis is disaster trained, but this is her first big event. She says she doesn't know what to expect other than manning the shelters.
"We're just going to give them what little comfort we can with a roof, some food, even someone to talk to or hold their hand, because they could potentially lose everything they have," she said.
Some evacuees are experiencing this for the second time. The first time was when Katrina hit. Davis says that horrible disaster made her want to help this time.
"At that time I decided I want to be a part of something, some kind of emergency help-people group," she said.
A volunteer from Kearns who's been in Hattiesburg, Miss. for three days, Robin Graham, says the evacuees are very resilient, especially after going through Katrina.
"They know what they're facing. They know the possible devastation they're looking at, whether it's neighbors, cousins, their family members. But they still know they're going to survive it," Robin said.
So far, Utah has sent 14 volunteers to the area. And with Hurricane Hanna approaching Florida and the Carolinas, more Utahns could be deployed.
Susan Thomas of the American Red Cross said, "[With] the uncertainty of how bad Hanna will be, they're trying to keep a lot of the American Red Cross resources in the southeast. That's one reason why Utah has been a big help."
The public doesn't have to give up weeks of their time to help. They simply can give a donation to the Red Cross or help out at the nearest chapter of the Red Cross. They are located in Salt Lake, Ogden and Provo.
E-mail: ngonzales @ksl.com
