Red Cross Dakotas sending volunteers to help with Hurricane Ian

Alfonzo Galvan, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
·1 min read
Shoppers go for what was left of the water on the shelves in Tampa, Fla., as Tropical Storm Ian threatened to impact the Tampa Bay as a major hurricane later in the week.
Shoppers go for what was left of the water on the shelves in Tampa, Fla., as Tropical Storm Ian threatened to impact the Tampa Bay as a major hurricane later in the week.

Volunteers from the Red Cross Dakotas are traveling to Florida as Hurricane Ian makes landfall.

Ian had grown to near-Category 5 strength, blasting 155 mph winds and prompting mandatory evacuation orders for 2.5 million Floridians, according to USAToday reporting.

In preparation for Ian, Red Cross Dakotas announced Tuesday on social media they were hurrying to be in place before the storm hits. Their goal was to be on the ground and ready to help those affected as soon as possible.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Red Cross Dakotas' had more than 50 disaster response volunteers deployed or on standby and four Emergency Response Vehicles activated from Rapid City, Fargo, Duluth and Minneapolis, according to social media.

Ian will slam much of the state with life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding, according to USAToday reporting.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Red Cross volunteers from Dakotas, Minnesota heading to Florida