American Red Cross volunteers from Northeast Ohio are heading to North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence which has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm.
The volunteers are from Mahoning, Warren, Cuyahoga, Stark and Lake Counties. Four of them will leave for Wilmington, North Carolina on Tuesday. The fifth volunteer will go to a FEMA regional headquarters in Pennsylvania.
Those going to the coast will serve as shelter workers serving food, setting up cots and providing comfort to those displaced from their homes.
The volunteers are scheduled to be deployed for at least two weeks.
Swells up to 15 feet could batter the coast and the hurricane could dump up to 20 inches of rain in some inland locations. Landfall is projected for Thursday night or Friday morning.
Those looking to help with the relief effort, either by volunteering or donating, can find more information on the Northeast Ohio American Red Cross site here. The agency said it's always looking for other volunteers who can be quickly trained to help in future disasters.
