SAN ANTONIO — While Beryl continues to sweep across Texas, there is a different sort of flood in San Antonio.
More than 300 volunteers have poured into the city from across the country to volunteer at the local American Red Cross headquarters.
The local Executive Director, Dr. Daniel Martinez, said the storm may have a price tag of about two million dollars in recovery aid and much of the help from the nation will flow through the local chapter.
"There's a lot of things happening and a lot of moving parts," Martinez said. "Over the last two days we have received about 320 volunteers from all over the country and so they come to San Antonio to get processed in, to get trained, to understand what their responsibilities are."
Martinez said locals are also helping out by volunteering their time and essential supplies.
"We've got thousands of bottles of water that has been sent in so everything is centralized and coming to San Antonio," Martinez said, adding that they also have a big supply of ready-to-eat meals, medical supplies and cleaning kits to help people get water out of flooded homes.
Martinez said the city is the best place possible to mount a big campaign to help get Texans the help they need.
"San Antonio acts as the central hub of operations because airports are easily accessible. We're a two hour drive from Corpus, three from Houston," Martinez said. "As Beryl continues to pass through it's main landfall area, then we can start deploying our volunteers and our resources primarily to the Houston / Galveston region."
Addressing the organization's biggest needs Martinez said, "The number one thing is volunteers. 90 percent of the American Red Cross work force are volunteers and we cannot deliver our mission without them."
Martinez said there are many ways to help and some of them don't involve going into the storm zone because logistics jobs here at home are just as important.
"Anybody can just come in and say 'Hey I'm here, what can I do to help?'" Martinez said. "We have a need for counselors. We provide mental health care services after disasters."
Martinez said volunteering is really important to the community, but the second most important need is funding.
"The relief is entirely driven through donations," Martinez said, adding he is proud of the way San Antonio residents step up to help when the need arises.
"People are always saying how can we volunteer, what can we donate? So we are really blessed with an amazing community that rallies together, especially when it is Texans helping Texans," Martinez said.
More information about how to help can be found HERE.
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