Wilmington Red Cross brings aid to South Carolina

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The rain may have stopped, but the recovery process is just beginning across the Carolinas. The Wilmington Red Cross is reaching out to help our neighbors to the south when they need it most.

“Southeastern North Carolina has been through a trying last 5 days but it’s nothing compared to what they’re dealing with in South Carolina right now,” said Disaster Relief Specialist James Jarvis with the American Red Cross.

6 emergency response vehicles and about 15 volunteers are already in South Carolina. They are doing everything they can to help the victims of the record-breaking rain and flooding.

“As the situation develops there, I believe we’ll be sending many more people over the next days and weeks,” Jarvis said.

That means they need to prepare the trucks that were used throughout our area this weekend to go out and do it all over again.

Making sure that our cots are clean and prepared and ready to go. Making sure that our vehicles are reset. So that way if they’re needed in South Carolina, where the need is much greater right now, they’re prepared to go,” Jarvis said.

The emergency response vehicles are prepared to assist with everything from general cleanup to mobile feeding centers, but emergency response is an expensive business.

“I would certainly encourage everyone to donate to the Red Cross if they have the means to do so,” said Jarvis, who adds that volunteering time is just as important as monetary donations.

Due to the weather, the Red Cross in the Carolinas as well as Virginia were forced to cancel a number of blood drives and they are in need of platelets to help with emergency aid. The Wilmington location will have a blood drive this Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.