Utah American Red Cross volunteer describes devastation, need in areas hit by Hurricane Helene
Sep 30, 2024, 8:00 AM | Updated: 8:00 pm
MURRAY — Utahns on the ground in states hit hard by Hurricane Helene describe how bad the storm was for locals.
Benjamin Donner, executive director of the American Red Cross Central and Southern Utah Chapter said initial reports show Hurricane Helene was highly destructive.
“Red Cross estimates that Hurricane Helene likely destroyed up to 10,000-plus homes based on this initial assessment,” Donner said. “More than 1,000 missing persons report filed just in one county in North Carolina.”
Utahns dispatched
He said the eight Utahns dispatched to North Carolina, Florida and Georgia are currently focused on providing safe shelter spaces.
“That concern, that anxiety of, what’s it going to look like when I get to go back? We do everything we can to provide that kind of calming hand on the shoulder, any information that comes in that we’re able to give them updates on those neighborhoods, etc,” Donner said. “Once it is safe and everyone is allowed to start going back into those areas, then at that point we begin assisting with the damage assessment.”
Volunteer Kirsti Dunn from North Ogden was in a shelter in Madison, Florida outside of Tallahassee when the storm hit.
Read the full story and more from Shelby Lofton on ksltv.com.
