The chapter of the American Red Cross that covers southwestern Iowa and eastern Nebraska is launching a series of disaster orientation classes in hopes of bringing in new volunteers to assist others in recovering from tornadoes, floods and other catastrophes. Andrea Noon, spokeswoman for the Heartland Chapter, says they’re running short on help.

“We really do need the volunteers,” Noon says. “We’ve had over 30 disaster operations going since late March. With the situations that are happening, we’re going to need more local volunteers as well, so that’s why we’ve added more training classes to get those volunteers prepared for the classes and the things they are going to need to do.” Among the requirements, Noon says volunteers need to be at least 18 years old.

“Anybody who wants to volunteer has to take our Disaster Orientation class,” she says. “That’s the basic overview about the Red Cross, about how we work with our volunteers and then what you would experience on a disaster relief operation. That is a requirement before anybody can be deployed or take some of these more specialized courses.” Noon says if you want to be sent on a disaster mission, make sure you can get the time off from work or school.

“What we’re looking at right now is a two-to-three-week deployment period,” Noon says. “That’s something that people have to consider. We also have specialized deployments for medical personnel as well.” Noon says they had more than 100 people attend an orientation meeting several days ago and she hopes that trend continues. Specialty classes include basic food safety, shelter operations, disaster assessments and bulk distribution.

The chapter is based in Omaha/Council Bluffs. Learn more at “RedCrossOmaha.org” or call (402) 343-7700.

Teams of volunteers from the Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross are now in the Deep South, helping residents recover from last week’s massive tornado outbreak. One team from Omaha/Council Bluffs is in Little Rock, Arkansas, while chapter spokeswoman Danelle Schlegelmilch is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She calls the widespread damage “heartbreaking.”

“I’m seeing destruction like I’ve never seen it before,” Schlegelmilch says. “You try and prepare mentally before going on something like this but you just can’t. It looks like someone just took a giant lawn mower and mowed down a good chunk of Tuscaloosa. There’s damage to homes and businesses, major stores and restaurants. It’s mind-boggling.”

Schlegelmilch says more than 600 central Alabama residents spent the night in the Red Cross shelter a night ago. She says she’s very encouraged by the resilience of the people whose homes were flattened. “Even if they don’t have anything, as long as they have their loved ones, and you ask them, ‘How are you doing?’ and they say, ‘I’m blessed,’” she says.

“They’re more worried about their friends and neighbors than themselves a lot of the time. That’s just what touches my heart. They have nothing but they’re willing to give what they do have to each other. It’s very humbling, to say the least.” Last week’s storms left more than 300 people dead in six states in one of the worst tornado outbreaks in decades. Schlegelmilch says it’s easy for Iowans to help.

“All you have to do is go online to RedCross.org or text message “Red Cross” to 90999 and donate $10,” she says. “Being on the ground, seeing these people, it’s heartbreaking and any penny you can give will go a very long ways here.” Schlegelmilch says the Red Cross will be in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Little Rock for weeks to help tornado survivors get back on their feet.

The agency is providing food, shelter, clothing, medical care and more. It’s been a busy two weeks for Red Cross teams as they’ve responded to disasters in 25 states to help people affected by floods, tornadoes and wild fires.

See pictures of the tornado damage here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanredcross/sets/72157626049807007/with/5684363900/>

Cooler, drier weather is providing a welcome break for Iowans who are working to clean up their flood-damaged homes, as well as for Red Cross workers who’ve also had a hectic couple of weeks. High water forced hundreds of Iowans from their homes from one corner of the state to the other.

So far, Red Cross spokeswoman Jennifer Pickar says 95 agency workers operating from four emergency response vehicles have handed out 200 hygiene kits, 750 home clean-up kits and 4,500 free meals.

“It’s quite an operation,” Pickar says. “We couldn’t do this without assistance from the public so we do encourage people to donate. You’re helping your neighbors through the Red Cross.” She says specially-trained teams are still fanned out across flooded areas doing damage assessment.

Pickar says, “We have had shelters open which now are transitioning more into meal sites, places where residents can pick up clean-up kits and booklets that help walk them through the process of rebuilding, returning to their homes, what they need to throw out, getting them on track for recovery.” She says people need to take care of themselves physically and emotionally and should consider the Red Cross as a shoulder to lean on.

“Reality is probably setting in a little bit more now that the floodwaters are starting to recede and they’re starting to see all of the work that they have ahead of them,” Pickar says. “We do have counselors available at different service sites in the affected communities but people can call in, too, to get help.”

To reach a counselor, to volunteer or to donate money, call 800-Red Cross, or visit “www.redcross.org“.

Photo courtesy of the Red Cross.

At least four more Red Cross volunteers from Iowa are making their way to Fargo, North Dakota.

Bobbi Bishop, spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Central Iowa, says the flooding along the Red River has gone from bad to worse.

She says the National Red Cross sent an urgent request to Iowa chapters this morning requesting both personel and vehicles in Fargo.

"The Emergency Response Vehicle from Fort Dodge will be going up tomorrow morning, as well as the one here in central Iowa," Bishop said.

Dave Clark of Urbandale is one of the volunteers taking an Emergency Response Vehicle, or ERV, to North Dakota. "We can feed mass quantities of people right on the flood scene and take the food right to them," Clark said. Ron Dickerson, director of emergency services for the Central Iowa chapter, was busy preparing the ERV – which resembles an ambulance – for the 475 mile trip.

The vehicle is equiped to serve up to 5,000 meals per day. "If it’s not used in a feeding operation, then they’ll use it to haul bulk supplies for the needs of the clients," Dickerson said. "It’s mainly a cargo vehicle, it’s a very versatile vehicle." This morning, Fargo police issued a mandatory evacuation of a large area as the river moved more than 22 feet above flood stage and threatens to inundate the city.

"Today, the emphasis is changing to not only feeding, but also sheltering," Dickerson said. "They’re expecting to shelter quite a number tonight as the river went out of the banks early this morning." Police issued the evacuation order because of "seepage" in one of the levees. Bishop says, with the four additional volunteers, there will now be 11 Red Cross workers from Iowa helping in Fargo.

"Because we are so close to North Dakota, we anticipate there will be more Iowans deploying," Bishop said. The Red River, which runs between Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, is expected to crest at 43 feet Saturday. That would exceed the previous record height of 40 feet in 1897. 

Red Cross volunteers from Iowa are helping with sandbagging in Fargo, North Dakota, as the Red River rises well beyond its banks.

The record crest is expected on Friday or Saturday, perhaps 23 feet over flood stage.

Maryann Sinkler, from the Central Iowa chapter of the Red Cross, says sandbags are being filled at a furious pace.

Sinkler says when she arrived on Sunday, there was a place called Sandbag Central, while there were several spots along the river where sand was just dumped and volunteers were pitching in to fill bags. Up to 400,000 sandbags are being made daily as hundreds of volunteers try to build up Fargo’s protective dike to hold off the expected record flood.

She says Sandbag Central is buzzing with hundreds of volunteers from the National Guard and elsewhere. The FargoDome has also been opened up for sandbagging while North Dakota State University has canceled classes until further notice. Sinkler says thousands of college students are churning out the sandbags, as perhaps two-million sandbags will be needed.

She says even though classes are canceled, the college students aren’t just taking off, they’re enthusiastically rallying each other through the tedious and labor-intensive task of filling and stacking sandbags.

Employers are also being urged to give workers time off so they can assist in the effort.

Sinkler and other Red Cross workers are helping to provide food for the volunteers and they’re preparing to shelter anyone who’s displaced by the floods.

 Fargo got whalloped with 16-inches of snow one day late last week and huge mountains of snow are heaped around town, piles she says are easily six-feet high. A rapid melt-off would compound flooding troubles.