Across Arizona, there are about 12 volunteers that are en-route to help provide disaster relief for those impacted by Helene, now classified as a post-tropical cyclone . Patrick Wathen is a volunteer from Tucson who is heading to Tallahassee to assess damage of buildings.
“We assess everything, from destroyed to no damage,” Wathen said. “We have to get our work done quickly and accurately.”
It’s his fifth hurricane deployment.
“It’s been several hurricanes now, and wildfires and floods,” he said. “It’s been a satisfying experience.”
He said being a volunteer makes a difference to the community and brings joy into his life. When he helped with Hurricane Ian, he said he’ll never forget some of the families he met there.
“She said, ‘I’ve lost everything, so I guess I need everything’,” Wathen shared. “If that doesn’t touch your heart, nothing does.”
He’s set to be in Florida for the next two weeks but it could be more depending on the situation. He said the Red Cross also needs more volunteers to do disaster relief work too.