Hurricane Earl is now not expected to pack the same punch once forecast when it passes by the Cape and Islands tonight, but the American Red Cross is ready, in any case.
“It’s important to be prepared in advance of the storm, and the Red Cross works 365 days a year to make sure that we have plans in place,” said Red Cross spokeswoman Donna M. Morrissey.
She normally works in blood services at the organization’s Dedham office – the blood services headquarters for Massachusetts – but today was in Hyannis, traveling around Cape Cod as Earl approached.
“Many times we have to get in in advance of the storm so that we can be in place and ready immediately after the storm passes” to provide services and resources to people who need them, Morrissey said.
The Red Cross said Thursday that volunteers from its Southwestern Indiana chapter were driving an emergency responsive vehicle (or ERV) from Evansville, Indiana to Dedham to pre-position it for relief efforts. Morrissey said that was one of a number of vehicles heading to Cape Cod to help out.
The Red Cross has 24 emergency response vehicles in Massachusetts and Rhode Island at this point.
Yesterday, an ERV arrived from West Virginia and was ferried to Nantucket, bringing over supplies such as food, comfort kits and cots for the high school shelter on the island, Morrissey reported.
The good news is that Earl appears to be going toward the east, Morrissey said in a phone interview late this morning. Vehicles, materials and supplies have been positioned so the Red Cross can respond as needed, she added.
Morrissey said the Red Cross relies on people’s donations to ensure that it has those supplies and resources when they are needed. To make a donation, visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS. You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Dedham Transcript staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
