Stoughton Resident Among Local Volunteers Sent to Help with Flooding After Isaac Hits Gulf Region

The following is from the American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts:

Tom Grimsley of Stoughton is among the hundreds of volunteers across the U.S. who are deployed to help those affected by Hurricane Isaac.

A specialist in health services, Grimsley answered the call early to deploy to Miami last week to await landfall. Now that the storm has changed track and the greatest need is in the Mississippi Delta, Grimsley will be traveling first to Houston and then to New Orleans to help the relief effort there.

As of Wednesday night there were nearly 80 shelters that were run by or supported by the Red Cross for Hurricane Isaac across 7 states. More than 4,700 people stayed in these shelters.

Every hurricane is different, and with Isaac the threat to person and property has been flooding more than wind damage.

To prepare for this event the Red Cross sent deployed its trained volunteers to ride out the storm and then be ready to serve others. The American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts has sent 22 volunteers – 15 before the storm made landfall – to help staff shelters and care for the well being of those who are facing disaster.

Some have accepted multiple deployments, traveling to one area and then accepting an assignment elsewhere as this slow-moving storm moves north.