Texas flooding, Canadian wildfires prompt Red Cross to utilize north Georgia resources

Unprecedented outbreaks of wildfires in Canada and flooding in Texas have prompted local chapters of the American Red Cross to contribute their services to the disaster-relief effort.
 
Red Cross spokeswoman Laura Allen said volunteers have been sent to assist on-site aid workers in battling the historic conditions, which have combined to displace thousands of individuals.
 
"In Texas, it's just been devestated by historical flooding," she said. "We've got over 6,000 homes that have been affected."
 
Allen said the Red Cross's efforts in Texas now include the assistance of 300 local volunteers, two of which are conducting their duties from home.
 
"Two of those in northeast Georgia are actually doing virtual deployment, which means they don't have to fly to Texas to assist families or individuals," she explained. "They're working right from their homes."
 
Allen identified those volunteers as Cumming's Bobbie Ingenito and Statham's Evelyn Buhite.
 
The Red Cross also sent two northeast Georgians to the western portion of Canada, where wildfires have ravaged over 1.5 million acres in recent months, according to the Canadain Wildland Fire Information System.
 
"There were some significant wildfires in the Alberta area, and those relief efforts were led by the Canadian Red Cross, but they asked for assistance...and the American Red Cross stepped up," Allen said. "We did deploy two team members...Sally Brown of Barrow County and Tim Brown from White County flew up to Canada; they're two of our most reliable disaster volunteers."
 
Despite allocating so many resources to disaster relief in areas outside of north Georgia, Allen said the Red Cross' local efforts have not been affected.
 
"Locally we continue to respond to home fires on almost a daily basis," she noted. "In northeast Georgia we will assist generally over 300 families during the course of a year, and that activity has not slowed down"
 
Allen said the organization is continually searching for more volunteers to help them carry out their relief efforts.