TAMPA ,Fla (WFLA) –  Help is on the way for those dealing with the wrath of Harvey.

The Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross is sending at least a dozen relief workers to Louisiana in response to the storm. Several have already left and others will be leaving in the coming days.

Juan Sanchez is about to be deployed and tells News Channel 8 he knows the situation will be difficult.  “There’s going to be flooding, there’s going to be housing issues,” said Sanchez, who became emotional when he spoke about why he became a Red Cross volunteer.

“I was in the army, this is way back when and I was stationed in Germany out in the middle of nowhere. There were no computers in those days,” said Sanchez, battling the tears. “I was in an exercise and my father took ill. The Red Cross found me and got me back into the states.”

Long before Harvey threatened the U.S. Coast, the Red Cross had plans for a shelter management and simulation training exercise in Hillsborough County. Saturday’s session took place at Burnett Middle School in Seffner.Participants learned the ins and outs of setting up and maintaining a shelter during an emergency situation, whether that be a hurricane, a flood, a fire or any other natural disaster. Amanda Cullison with the Red Cross explains students in this class also receive training in how to deal with people in need of shelter.

Participants learned the ins and outs of setting up and maintaining a shelter during an emergency situation, whether that be a hurricane, a flood, a fire or any other natural disaster. Amanda Cullison with the Red Cross explains students in this class also receive training in how to deal with people in need of shelter.

“How to provide emotional help and comfort during a very trying time, and how to keep people safe,” said Cullison. “Make the environment safe and stable so that people who are going through the worst day of their life have some place where they can go to. “

Cullison added the “students” in this class come from a very diverse group of people. “We have the colleges, we have a large retirement population, we have the young professionals with families.”

Cullison says, while this disaster is taking place hundreds of miles away, it could easily happen right here in our backyard, and the American Red Cross is always looking for donations and volunteers.

For more information on the organization, you can phone your local Red Cross chapter, or simply log onto www.redcross.org.

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