»You can send money by visiting redcross.org.
With a title like “regional disaster officer,” Eric Corliss knows how to help the people of flood-ravaged South Carolina.
And he knows how his fellow Georgians can best help, too.
“The volunteers that are there on the ground,” he said, “are able to do their work because of the generous support from the people who give money to make a difference.”
Corliss, who typically works with the American Red Cross of Georgia under the aforementioned title, departed Wednesday morning for Columbia, S.C., where he will serve as second-in-command for the agency’s local disaster relief efforts. He expects to spend several weeks helping coordinate efforts to bring food, shelter, restrooms and health services — “stuff that you and I took for granted last night” — to the hundreds of people who have already lost everything in the widespread flooding.
As of Wednesday morning, the death toll stood at 15 in South Carolina, and two more were dead in North Carolina. More than 700 people are already being housed in Red Cross shelters, Corliss said.
Corliss will join more than 1,000 Red Cross staff members and volunteers, including about 20 from Georgia, in South Carolina, where the situation — and the scope of his agency’s relief efforts — were “still developing” Wednesday.
The Associated Press reported that, along the state’s coast, residents were preparing for a second round of flooding as swollen rivers made their way toward the Atlantic. Gov. Nikki Haley said evacuations may be needed in the area.
Back in the Columbia area, about 1,000 residents near the compromised Beaver Dam were told to evacuate Wednesday morning, though the order was lifted several hours later when crews shored up the dam.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham warned the disaster could “break the bank” of federal emergency funds, possibly topping more than $1 billion.
“It’s a significant disaster,” Corliss said. “Many people over the years have asked me to compare one disaster to another. Each disaster is unique, but I can tell you this: When you’ve been affected by a disaster it is traumatic to each family.”
Corliss said the Red Cross is working with large-scale, in-kind donations for basics like water and toilet paper, meaning what the agency needs most from those hoping to help is funds — money that can be used to help volunteers help those in need.
“It’s the most flexible thing that we can use to purchase the supplies that we need,” Corliss said.
Donations can be made by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting redcross.org.
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