YUMA, Ariz. – The flooding was the worst in more than 100 years, leading to emergency declarations in 31 counties and evacuation orders. At least 16 people died, including 9 U.S. soldiers.
As Texas residents continue to try to put the pieces of their lives back together, the American Red Cross plays a critical role in that recovery process; even our very own Red Cross of Yuma was there to assist.
I sat down with Fay Batson, Texas native and one of the lead volunteers here at Red Cross Yuma, about what she did to help the flood victims.
“So I came to the office and Tom had asked me if I wanted deploy for 14 days. And I thought about it because I was going to be leaving me kids so it made me a little nervous and I decided to go,” Fay said.
After traveling about 1,278 miles, she touched in Rosenberg, Texas to access the damages and help the victims.
“My initial role was going out in the emergency response vehicle and supplying them with food, and plenty of water. We would interact with them, talk to them, comfort them the best that we could. Then my other role, I guess they call it a promotion, was working out in the yard where we stage supply the emergency response vehicles with all the food: their plates, their silverware their water,” Fay explains.
Now back in the Desert Southwest, she tells us what she’s doing now to help residents during times of excessive heat, their role during fire season, and what the American Red Cross can do for you during an emergency.
Fay concludes, “We make sure that we have snacks and water for people to come in and cool off. And if there are fires we usually go to the scene of the fire and provide that person with assistance. It’s great to volunteer for the Red Cross because we get an opportunity to be here for the community and to support people around us, and not only around us, around the nation.”