Missouri Red Cross volunteers prepare to head to Florida as Hurricane Idalia heads towards southeast

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As Hurricane Idalia looms over Florida, American Red Cross responders from across the state are answering the call to help. 

Ten Red Cross responders from Missouri will assist in the response to Hurricane Idalia. John Mathews, of Mexico, Missouri, is one of those volunteers, and the only one from Central Missouri. 

The Red Cross will be deploying 33 other disaster responders from Missouri are who will be sent to support wildfire relief efforts in Hawaii, California and Washington, as well as flooding in Missouri.

Mathews has been volunteering for the Red Cross for more than 40 years. He has seen a lot of storms during that time; almost too many to count. 

“I’d have to take my shoes off to count that high,” Mathews joked. 

He is about to add Hurricane Idalia to that total. However, despite his experience, he says it is difficult to know what to expect. 

“When you have seen one you’ve seen one,” Mathews said. “The expectations are that it is going to be as bad or worse than if there is such a thing, a typical storm.” 

Mathews was supposed to leave for Flordia on Tuesday morning, but tropical storms delayed his flight. He will not arrive until Thursday. Typically, the Red Cross does not send in people until after the storm has cleared. 

“We are supporting those who are on the scene and we come in as fast as safe as it is for us to arrive,” Mathews said. “There’s been one exception when I was actually on the ground when a hurricane came over and it wasn’t terribly frightening because I knew I was safe.”

When the Red Cross is asked to respond to a natural disaster, volunteers are given specific assignments when they arrive. Mathew's role will be to help with shelters in the area.  

“That’s part of what I will be doing when I am in Florida. Taking a look at the shelters that are being open or anticipated to be opened and figuring out how my team will need to be distributed amongst the shelters so we have good eyes on everything,” Mathews said. 

Most deployments last two-to-three weeks. But for some volunteers that stint can be even longer. 

“Even the two week ones I end up coming back after a time at home and get my clothes washed and turn around and go back,” Mathews said. 

It has been all hands on deck across the state of Missouri. 

Missouri Task Force 1 sent 45 people to Florida to provide support while the Missouri Public Utility Alliance will also be sending crews to assist with power outages. 

Being away from family at the sight of a disaster can take a mental toll and physical toll. But those sacrifices aren't just limited to responders. 

“It takes a lot from the families of these members to let them go on these deployments because they could be gone just two weeks and so now you know a parent or spouse is taking on all the duties at home by themselves.” Jobs to let their employees go. It takes a lot,” Boone County Assistant Fire Chief Gale Bloomenkamp said. 

But for people like Mathews, it is well worth it. 

“There is really few higher callings that I’m aware of than to be a volunteer to help someone else in need,” said