BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Local agencies are continuing to watch the track of Hurricane Ian to assess who and what should be sent to help disaster-hit areas.
Alabama Power and the American Red Cross are on standby.
For Alabama Power, it’s a wait-and-see approach.
Crews are assessing the storm as it unfolds, and they will roll out based on the location of the damage.
A spokesperson for the power company, Anthony Cook, tells CBS 42 that restoring power to areas in the state is the first priority when a storm makes landfall.
Cook says the company’s outage alert systems are beneficial to customers during weather event because it helps them to monitor when power is restored.
“You sign up for the outage alert, and it will send a text or an email message directly to you to let you know the status of an outage in your service area,” Cook said.
The American Red Cross is already on the grounds in some areas.
They’ve sent a volunteer team to Dothan, where some evacuees from Florida are stationed at.
They’re also preparing to send volunteers to Florida to provide disaster relief in areas impacted.
A spokesperson for the American Red Cross, Annette Rowland, tells CBS 42 that along with volunteers, they’re sending two red cross emergency vehicles filled with supplies to help people.
“They’ve packed with things like tarps, stable chef meals, water, gloves for the cleanup after and mops racks shovel those things that you need after the storm hits….emergency supplies,” Rowland said.
Rowland says they have volunteers for this storm, but people can still help by donating blood and financially.
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