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Local Red Cross volunteers leaving for areas in path of Hurricane Florence

Posted at 6:22 AM, Sep 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-12 11:34:53-04

Several Red Cross volunteers from the Palm Beach County area left Wednesday for North and South Carolina to assist with Hurricane Florence relief efforts.

They departed from Palm Beach International Airport around 11 a.m.

RELATED:Hurricane Guide | LIVE: Hurricane Tracker MapFPL crews head to areas in Florence's path | VIDEO: Hurricane Hunters fly into eye of Florence

The South Florida Region of the American Red Cross said it has quickly mobilized to send support to the areas expected to be the most affected by the storm.

More than 30 South Florida Red Cross staff members and volunteers have deployed to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and the U.S. Virgin Islands to assist in Red Cross relief efforts for Florence and Isaac.

Michelene Holland, the Red Cross South Florida regional manager of mass care and logistics, said she is flying to Raleigh to help coordinate logistics for a mega shelter near Durham, North Carolina.

"The volunteers are just a few of the more than 700 disaster workers that are en route to the regions to help. They will be supporting different areas of service ranging from mass care, logistics, public affairs and government operations," said Holland.

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.

"I’m a little bit anxious just not knowing what is happening there on the ground, but I know within a couple hours I’ll have my direction and get to work with the rest of the crew," said Holland. 

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.