(Spencer)– Hurricane Katrina continued its assault late Monday afternoon on the southeast Gulf Coast, leaving behind massive destruction in many areas.
Even as the storm continues to wreak havoc, thoughts are starting to turn to cleaning up and moving on from the disaster. To that end, the American Red Cross is already standing by in some of the hardest hit areas.
Locally, many people are wondering what they can do to help out. Dale Brigham of the Iowa Great Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross says the best thing we can do is make a monetary donation. Checks should be made out to American Red Cross Disaster Relief and mailed to the Iowa Great Lakes American Red Cross; P.O. Box 407; Spencer, Iowa…51301. Brigham says he’ll forward the money on to national officials who will send it on to the affected areas. Brigham says this way officials in those areas will be able to purchase the items they need the most. He adds it will be much less expensive to purchase the items down there than it would be to ship them from our area.
Brigham adds the National American Red Cross already has personnel deployed in the affected areas and more are on the way, including some from Red Cross chapters in Sioux City and Sioux Falls. He says Red Cross volunteers going to the affected areas must have the proper certification and immunizations.
As far as how this hurricane compares with others the American Red Cross has provided assistance to, Brigham says it’s still too early to know just how it compares.
