SEATTLE — Hurricane Ian carved a path of destruction across Florida Wednesday, bringing 150 mph winds and a storm surge of several feet. Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., turned streets into rivers and knocked out power to more than 2 million people.
The extent of the damage will be assessed once the storm has passed, but the American Red Cross Northwest Region said Wednesday it already had people on the ground ready to assist.
Gov. Jay Inslee also activated four members of the Washington National Guard on Thursday to provide communication support and capabilities to bolster the disaster response.
"I'm stationed right now in Orlando, Florida,” said Steve Hatfield, a Centralia, Washington resident and Red Cross volunteer. “We are staging and preparing box trucks.”
On Sunday, Hatfield caught a flight from Seattle to Orlando. He said his team is prepared for the worst.
The storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 hurricane. Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm by Thursday morning before becoming a Category 1 hurricane again Thursday afternoon.
“I have seen a lot, but to say I've seen it all? I won't say that because every time I go out on a disaster, there's something always different," said Hatfield.
Hatfield has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for nearly three decades. He's responded to disasters across the United States and Puerto Rico.
The Red Cross said it's prepared to help up to 60,000 people in Florida. On Tuesday, more than 13,000 people spent the night in one of the Red Cross evacuation shelters set up across the state.
Hatfield is one of 500 Red Cross disaster workers on the ground in Florida.
"[I] say we're here to help you. We're here to see that you are comfortable, and we know the situation you're in,” said Hatfield. “When you're in a shelter like this, we try to do our best.”
Hatfield said he’s prepared to be away from home for up to seven weeks and that he's ready to go wherever he's needed.
"It's one of those quirky things with these hurricanes. They have a mind of their own, personality of their own, and they'll do what they want to do," said Hatfield.
KING 5 has launched Northwest Response in partnership with the American Red Cross to raise funds for people impacted by Hurricane Ian. Donate at king5.com/ian.