The American Red Cross has sent more volunteers from Western and Central New York to help people who may be affected by Hurricane Dorian.
While the exact path of the huge hurricane is still somewhat uncertain, millions of people in the Southeastern U.S. may be impacted.
Tom Purnell is from Rochester and he was sent to Florida to coordinate the assistance provided by various agencies to the public.
Purnell just became a Red Cross volunteer earlier this year, but he's very familiar with public safety, having spent years as a safety officer for the City of Rochester and also working with other emergency responders in Western New York. Now that he’s retired, he wants to continue providing this kind of assistance.
“I’ve always been out there helping others and making sure they’re ok and stuff like that, so, this kind of fell into place for me when I decided to join the Red Cross," Purnell said.
Purnell has just arrived in Orlando, and although the exact track of the storm is still uncertain, he says some of the people he's spoken with are nervously watching and waiting for whatever comes next.
“I’ve talked with a few people, and yes, they’re definitely concerned, but there’s others that, they’ve weathered storms before and they know what to expect and so they’re just hunkering down and doing what they need to do to get ready for it,” Purnell said.
Purnell and other local volunteers are expected to be away for at least two weeks Officials say as many as 60,000 in Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina may need emergency shelter.
