CLEVELAND — Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night as a Category 4 storm, bringing life-threatening conditions, a powerful storm surge, and winds up to 140 mph.
Over 24 million people from Florida to South Carolina were expected to be in the hurricane's path. Despite multiple warnings from officials, some prepared in advance to ride out the storm.
One of those is Northeast Ohio native Heather Siedlecki. She and her husband just moved to Florida in March. She decided to ride out her first hurricane after talking to one of her friends.
"She said this happens all the time," Siedlecki said. "You've followed the protocol. If it were her, she wouldn't leave. I still have power, and I still have all the things. I have a job that depends on me. So, I'm here, and I'm going to witness it."
Siedlecki said she and her husband boarded up their home days ago and stocked up on essentials. She feels they'll be able to last through what is predicted to be several days without power.
"We'll be OK," she said. "I know we'll be OK."
Making sure that people are more than just OK is the American Red Cross. Hundreds of trained volunteers have been mobilized to the areas hit by Hurricane Helene.
Six of those volunteers are from Northern Ohio. Canton Volunteer Mahagony Coward is stationed at a shelter outside of Tampa.
"An emergency shelter is for water, for snacks. That's for comfort," she told News 5 Thursday before the storm. "We are also for electricity. We are going to make sure that those chargers are ready. Those stations are ready to encourage our community. We are here for you."
The nonprofit will work with local emergency management to help those devastated in the coming days and weeks.
As those officials begin to assess that damage in the daylight, Coward asks for one thing.
"For the rest of the world," she said. "We would like for you to pray. Prayers are going to do us justice believe it or not."
