Robert Franks is one of the more than 33,000 people seeking shelter from Hurricane Ian who spent the night at a Red Cross shelter. The Category 4 storm, which made landfall Wednesday, brought catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding to Florida.
Franks, who is 84 years old and has lived in Florida his entire life, can tell you all about hurricanes. He’s survived countless hurricanes and has plenty of stories to tell. For Franks, Ian felt different. Plus, he’s on oxygen and knew he wouldn’t do well without electricity.
Talking to Cynthia Myatt, one of more than 730 trained Red Cross volunteers at a shelter at Lost Lake Elementary School in Clermont, Florida, Frank’s spirits were high. As the two sat in the school library and talked, he said the books reminded him of his own school days. “I feel like I’m a kid again being in this library with all these books. I’m comfortable here,” he said.
At the same shelter, Myatt met Tom Wilbert, who is staying at the shelter with his wife, who is facing medical challenges and needs oxygen. As her caregiver, Wilbert was most concerned with her safety. He said he remembers the devastation of Irma and wanted to be prepared. In fact, he and his wife sheltered in the same location during that storm. He brought along their two dogs but couldn’t corral the cat before the storm hit and left her at home. “I like this shelter because it's pet friendly and they have nurses here to help me care for my wife,” Wilbert said.
Red Cross volunteer Chris Wilkinson met Kelly Cochrane at the shelter. Cochrane says she’s survived two previous hurricanes and a home fire. “When our home burnt down, the Red Cross came to help us. They put us up until we found a mobile home to buy. And besides finding us a place to stay, they got us new clothes and helped us get our medicines,” she said.
As a recent widow, she didn’t want to be alone in the storm. I just didn’t feel comfortable with all those big trees around my house,” she said. So, she packed up some clothes and her medications and came to the shelter. “I can’t say enough good things about the Red Cross.”
Before the storm, the Red Cross moved truckloads of additional cots, blankets and comfort kits, along with tens of thousands of relief supplies into the region to be prepared to help as many as 60,000 people. Emergency response vehicles were also pre-positioned across the state. Several hundred blood products were sent to Florida ahead of the storm to ensure patients continue to have access to a readily available blood supply.
More information about Ian and the Red Cross response can be found here.
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September 29, 2022 at 10:35PM
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Hurricane Ian: Stories from a Red Cross Shelter - American Red Cross
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