Local Red Cross supports Sandy relief efforts

Since Hurricane Sandy made landfall, the American Red Cross has been busy supporting relief efforts in the affected areas of the East Coast. Ten local volunteers from the Northcentral Wisconsin Chapter have given their time and talents to provide hope to impacted communities. A total of 72 trained Red Cross volunteers from Wisconsin have traveled across the country to provide emergency services such as shelter, meals, water, recovery items and crisis counseling.

Local Red Cross volunteers who have headed East include Laurel Cooper from Merrill, and Ervin and Nancy Uerling of Gleason.

As of last Thursday, Cooper was in Maryland, headed for New York, driving the Stevens Point area's Emergency Response truck. She was expected to be involved in feeding operations in New York.

Nancy Uerling was stationed in New York working in shelter operations, while Ervin was working in a shelter in New Jersey. Nancy, a retired nurse, helps with the health concerns of victims. For Ervin, this is his first deployment as a Red Cross volunteer.

The volunteers will be deployed for three weeks, said Wendy Savage, Red Cross regional director of development.

"Our volunteers are pre-positioned in Maryland and then repositioned according to need," she said.

The Red Cross has over 2,300 disaster workers and 200 emergency response vehicle providing aid in the affected areas.

Hurricane Sandy has knocked out power to millions of customers. The storm claimed the lives of 47 people on the mainland United States. Preliminary estimates put Sandy's damage toll at over $10 billion, making it the second most costly storm in U.S history, behind Hurricane Katrina. Damage was caused by flooding, high winds and fires.

The areas without power were experiencing temperatures in the 30s and 40s. Heavy snowfall attributed to the storm covered some areas with as much as three feet of snow.

"The Red Cross is considering it our largest disaster ever," Savage said.

The Red Cross volunteers stay in staff shelters or sleep in their vehicles on the scene.

"It's not a vacation," Savage said. "These people are very brave."