As Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday into Thursday, Alabamians are both heading toward the storm to help victims and animals as others are providing refuge to evacuees in Alabama.
The Birmingham-based Red Cross of Alabama and Mississippi is sending volunteers and staff to Florida to assist those impacted by Ian.
“While others are hurrying to get away from the storm, Red Crossers from Alabama are hurrying to be in place BEFORE the storm so that we can be on the ground AFTER the storm ensuring people get the help they need,” the organization said.
Among those Red Cross officials headed to Florida is Damon Summers, regional program officer for the Red Cross of Alabama and Mississippi.
Meanwhile, the Humane Society of Greater Birmingham is dispatching disaster transport teams to Citrus County, Fla. shelters in Inverness and Englewood to evacuate animals in Ian’s path.
“Serving is the cornerstone of the GBHS Mission, and in times like this, it is more important than ever to assist our neighbors in need,” said Allison Black Cornelius, CEO of GBHS. “We often forget about pets and animals when a disaster strikes. Shelter staff in the path of Ian need to take care of their families and evacuate the area but cannot do so until every animal in their facility has a safe place to stay. Our hearts break for those who will be impacted by Hurricane Ian and we hope this assistance will lessen the burden they face during this time.”
In Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway is opening a portion of three campgrounds to evacuees, free of charge, starting 9 a.m. Wednesday.
“We at Talladega Superspeedway are committed to helping our friends in Florida, Alabama, and the surrounding states during this time of need,” said Talladega Superspeedway President Brian Crichton. “We hope to provide a sense of relief by offering a place to stay for no charge for evacuees during this time of adversity. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the path of the storm.”
Details on how to access the campgrounds can be found here.
By Wednesday morning, the Florida peninsula is forecast to experience “life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters added that “devastating” wind damage will be possible where Ian’s eye moves onshore in Florida.
“Ian is forecast to approach the west coast of Florida as an extremely dangerous major hurricane,” the hurricane center said.