In anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Michael, hundreds of American Red Cross volunteers - including one from Central Missouri - are deploying to the Florida Panhandle.
Don Barnett is heading to the Sunshine State - via Macon, Georgia - to do disaster assessment. Barnett is to await the storm in Georgia before going into Florida to assess damage the storm causes.
Hurricanes are categorized by strength, based on the maximum sustained speed of winds they generate.
Michael, currently in the Gulf of Mexico and moving north, was expected to intensify into a Category 4 hurricane (130-156 mph) by the time its eye reaches the Florida coast sometime this evening.
The Red Cross is deploying hundreds of volunteers to Florida in advance of the storm's arrival, according to Abigail Anderson, American Red Cross Central and Northern chapter executive director.
"Like any other disaster, the Red Cross is working with local governments on the gulf," Anderson said. "We have pre-positioned supplies - blankets, cots, hygiene kits, toiletries, food and water. All those things are on standby."
Typically, the nonprofit organization works with partners to open and operate shelters in regions where disasters happen.
If emergency organizations ask the Red Cross to send more personnel to the Gulf, the local chapter will request that more of its trained volunteers sign up for deployment, Anderson said.
Unlike Hurricane Florence, which crawled onto the North Carolina coast Sept. 14 and spent days pouring rain on the state, the response to Michael has had to happen quickly, she said.
"With Hurricane Michael, it's happening so fast," Anderson said. "And arriving just after Florence makes it really difficult for those volunteers. When our volunteers come back from deployment, they're tired. It is hard to do back-to-back deployments."
Eleven volunteers, including some who went last week to help with cleanup, remain in North Carolina.
In North Carolina, the floodwaters are just beginning to recede, Anderson said. Homeowners are dealing with mud, mold and water damage.
Michael is traveling much faster than Florence did. It is expected to drop about 8.5 inches of rain in the Panama City, Florida, area as it passes. Because it was so slow-moving, rainfall from Florence was measured in feet.
"It's hard to predict what's going to be needed until the hurricane makes landfall," Anderson said. "We had quite a bit of prep time for Florence."
Most of the local chapter's volunteers are still in Missouri.
The American Red Cross continues to accept applications for new volunteers.
People required for large-scale disaster relief must be willing to be away from home for weeks. To volunteer, visit redcross.org or call the local office at 596-0300.
The organization requires background checks and provides training. There are 800 different volunteer positions within the Red Cross.
Members of Missouri Task Force 1 are leaving for Florida this morning to prepare for swiftwater rescue operations. The task force is one of 28 urban search-and-rescue teams in the United States, and is designed to help local emergency agencies facing disasters inside and outside Missouri. The Boone County Fire Protection District manages it under Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines.
Although there are members of the Jefferson City Fire Department on the task force, none are being deployed to Florida at this time.