After the storm: Duncansville woman volunteers with Red Cross hurricane cleanup crew
The Associated Press Displaced boats lie strewn along the San Carlos Boulevard, one day after the passage of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
Courtesy photo Red Cross volunteers unload supplies to help clean up after Hurricane Ian pummeled Florida last week.
The Associated Press Displaced boats lie strewn along the San Carlos Boulevard, one day after the passage of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
Courtesy photo Red Cross volunteers unload supplies to help clean up after Hurricane Ian pummeled Florida last week.
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There are a lot of long hours, but for retired math teacher Karen Natoli of Duncansville, being on hand to help those in need is a rewarding way to spend her time.
Natoli landed in Tampa, Florida, last Saturday and has been working alongside other American Red Cross volunteers to aid that state's residents as they work to clean up and rebuild after Hurricane Ian.
During a phone conversation Wednesday, Natoli spoke from the middle of a Red Cross warehouse in Fort Myers -- actually a large parking lot -- where tractor trailers were unloading supplies that were then broken down into smaller portions, sorted and loaded onto box trucks. The box trucks -- each containing enough supplies to help 96 families -- are then sent out to various neighborhoods where people are working to clean up the mess left in the hurricane's wake.
Natoli said there wasn't a lot of damage in Tampa, but as she traveled south, it became visible in the form of trees uprooted, shingles torn off roofs and in some cases, homes destroyed from not only the high winds but the storm surge.
Furniture and other items are beginning to pile up as people work to clean up homes that survived the hurricane, she said.
"Some areas are really pretty bad," she said. "Like most disasters, the poor areas seem to be the worst."
Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers are in the neighborhoods handing out bottled water, cleaning supplies, tarps, containers and more. They also deliver meals in special ERVs -- emergency response vehicles much like an ice cream truck, complete with a slidable window where people can receive the meals.
The Red Cross partners with the Southern Baptist Convention, she said, noting the Red Cross purchases the food and the Southern Baptist kitchen cooks it. The meals are then loaded into the ERVs and sent out to those in need. There are also MREs, meals ready to eat, some with heating elements built in.
It's an important aspect of the recovery operations, she said, as many areas still lack electricity, and it's unknown how well the water and sewer systems are operating.
For those unable to stay in their homes, the Red Cross has multiple shelters set up, she said.
"We're doing lots of stuff," she said.
1,500 volunteers respond
According to the Red Cross, volunteers -- about 1,500 of them -- from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are in Florida.
"People's lives were turned upside down by this massive storm," said Jorge Martinez, interim CEO with the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region.
Right now, more than 30 volunteers from Martinez's region are among those serving in Florida, hailing from Mifflin, Centre, Elk, Jefferson and Lycoming counties in addition to Blair County, he said in a news release.
Volunteers sign up for two-week stints, Natoli said. They work 12 hours a day, for six days and then get a day off before diving back into work.
"Some days are a little longer; there is no time clock," she said. "You keep working till your job is done."
Earlier in the week, Natoli was handing out cleaning supplies.
"We've given away a lot of tarps, a lot of totes," she said. "Garbage bags are really popular."
In addition to those items, volunteers hand out rakes, shovels and cleanup kits that include a bucket, mop and supplies. There are also brooms, flashlights, batteries and other items that people may need.
"We go to different communities and go up and down the streets to see who needs what," she said.
Volunteers also help replace medical equipment like canes and wheelchairs and help families replace prescription medications, Martinez said in the release.
Sharing their story
In addition, Red Cross volunteers offer a shoulder to lean on.
People like to share their story, Natoli said. "It makes them feel better."
One such story was from a man in Cape Coral when Natoli was working there on Tuesday. He told the volunteers that he's always abided by the warnings to evacuate and then returns home to find nothing happened. So this time, he decided to stay put.
"I regret staying," he told the volunteers.
Natoli said Floridians are cleaning up, going back to work and making the best of the situation.
"I get the impression most people are going on with their lives," she said, adding that the shelter numbers have been going down already, just a week out from the day the hurricane hit land.
According to Red Cross statistics, nearly 2,800 people sought refuge Sunday night in more than 30 Red Cross and partner shelters across Florida. Those numbers dropped by Tuesday, when about 2,000 sought refuge in 20 shelters open across the state.
While a few roads are still closed and cleanup efforts are expected to continue for weeks if not months in some areas, "most of the people I've run into, they're really resilient, they know they just have to clean up and move on," Natoli said.
It's a reaction she's seen a number of times in her nine years volunteering with the Red Cross.
Natoli usually works locally in Blair County and the Greater Pennsylvania Region. She responds to fires, floods and other disasters.
Nationally, she's worked after Hurricane Harvey in Huston and in North Carolina after Ida.
Within the state, she responded to a multi-dwelling fire in Huntingdon, flooding in Towanda and the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, among others.
In all cases, she's there to do whatever is needed to help those in need.
After she retired from the Hollidaysburg Area School District 11 years ago, Natoli decided to find an outlet for her abundant energy.
"I retired from my job, then thought I needed to do something to give back. The Red Cross is a great organization," she said. "We're here to help no matter who they are."
"I find it very rewarding," she said.
In addition to donations, the Red Cross is urging those who are able to donate blood as Hurricane Ian canceled planned blood drives in the area.
Volunteers are also needed.
"They teach you what to do when you go to fires, how to respond," Natoli said.
Red Cross teams are now starting to compile detailed residential assessments, including how many homes have been affected and the extent of that damage. The information will be used to make plans for what support families may need in the coming weeks and months, according to the Red Cross' website.
As of Friday, Hurricane Ian resulted in more than 100 deaths, including at least 89 in Florida. The financial toll, expected to be in the billions, remains to be calculated.