PROVIDENCE, R.I. (NEXSTAR) — Communities are reeling from Hurricane Ida, which made landfall Sunday as a catastrophic Category 4 storm, bringing extremely powerful winds and considerable amounts of rain that spurred dangerous flooding.
Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers and employees are working tirelessly to deliver safe shelter, nourishing meals, care and comfort for thousands of people who fled their homes ahead of the storm.
"They've just been overwhelmed with the destruction and it's heartbreaking," Susan Roberts, executive director of the Rhode Island chapter of the Red Cross said. "Lots of tragic loss of life, loss of homes, loss of property, loss of business, loss of work, so they are just devastated and need our help right now."
Warwick resident Peter Prowe, a volunteer with the Connecticut and Rhode Island chapter of the Red Cross, said he's spent the past week opening Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
"This one was one for the record books," he said of the storm.
Prowe said he's proud to be providing assistance from the smallest state.
"It's like a badge of honor," he said. "Rhode Island may be small, but we have a lot of heart."
The Red Cross needs your support to address the urgent needs of people devastated by Hurricane Ida.
"Our state motto is hope and that's what the Red Cross provides when we go in," Roberts said. "We provide you with hope to get you back on your feet."
Prowe said the Red Cross operates solely on donations, all of which are put towards helping those in need.
"The money we get always goes to folks impacted by any type of disaster, but it's through the generosity of these donors we are able to do what we do," he said.
Donations can also be made by mail and by phone at 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669).
