ST. LOUIS – Just before his shift started as a nurse at a St. Petersburg, Florida, hospital Thursday night, Alton native Robert Whitener told FOX 2, “There’s no more preparing; it’s here.”
While working, Whitener had concerns about his own home but had no intention of abandoning patients.
“I was a firefighter for years, and now I’m a nurse,” he said.
The American Red Cross has been responding to disasters for more than 140 years. Beth Elders is the executive director of the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis.
“The American Red Cross can only do what we do by the generosity of our community and by volunteers,” she said.
The Red Cross sent supplies and disaster responders ahead of the hurricane. As of Thursday, the agency was ready to open dozens of shelters as water began to cover parking lots.
“The majority of our volunteers that are there are running shelters,” Elders said.
The agency’s warehouse in Hazelwood contains even more supplies if needed, including cleaning supply kits for after the storm has passed through.