CLEVELAND — Two groups of additional volunteers are mobilizing from Ohio to join the relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Local volunteers from both the American Red Cross Northeast Ohio region and Ohio Task Force 1 are set to travel thousands of miles in order to help people they've never met.
Before the storm hit, the Red Cross sent three volunteers from Northeast Ohio to where Ian made landfall with supplies such as cots, food, emergency, and comfort kits. By Friday morning, at least six more volunteers will be en route to provide additional aid.
Ohio Task Force 1 deployed nearly 50 volunteers from its staging area in Alabama to the front line in Florida on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, an additional 35 volunteers left the organization's headquarters in Dayton were bound for Florida. These newly mobilized members are skilled in the various aspects of search and rescue operations as well as HazMat, medical, logistics, safety, communications and planning.
Crews will drive through the night and make it to Florida by Friday morning. Their specific destination is yet to be determined.
3News spoke to members of both the Red Cross and Ohio Task Force 1 on Thursday. They anticipate widespread wind damage, downed power lines, and heavy flooding. But they are eager to get to Florida to help in any way they can.
"Our mindset really is get there so we can get started," says Jim O'Connor of Ohio Task Force 1. "We're expecting to see some areas still flooded within the next day or two, we will go down and then we'll be dealing with damaged structures and trying to locate anyone still in those areas."
Both volunteer groups say they are prepared to stay and help in South Florida for at least two weeks, but longer if needed.
Previous reporting featuring Hurricane Ian: