ANCHORAGE —The American Red Cross is preparing for a large relief effort across multiple states as Hurricane Florence continues its march toward the East Coast. This is a dangerous storm predicted to grow even stronger and the Red Cross urges people in its path to obey evacuation orders and get ready now.

The Red Cross is preparing to help as many as 100,000 people in the affected areas and is working with state and local officials to identify and prepare evacuation shelters. More than 700 disaster workers are in route to the region to help. The Red Cross is also deploying vehicles, equipment, and relief supplies and will continue to do so until it is no longer safe to travel.

In contribution to the relief efforts, the Red Cross of Alaska is currently mobilizing Alaskan volunteers to lend a hand to those in the path of Hurricane Florence. A total of 10 volunteers from across Alaska have been deployed on Tuesday. These volunteers, who are set to arrive in Richmond, Virginia prior to the storm’s landfall, will be departing from the Southeast, the Fairbanks area, the Kenai Peninsula and the Mat-Su Valley in the coming hours. They will work in sheltering operations, disaster mental health services, logistics, and life, safety, and asset protection as soon as they are on the ground on the East Coast.

As the storm passes, the Red Cross is preparing to provide shelter for tens of thousands of people until they can return home or find other places to stay.

HOW YOU CAN HELP The Red Cross depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. The Red Cross honors donor intent. Donors can designate their donation to Hurricane Florence relief efforts by choosing that option when donating on redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or by texting the word FLORENCE to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

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