Local Las Vegas

Nevada Red Cross volunteers deploy to Florida in wake of Helene — PHOTOS

A veteran and a rookie from Southern Nevada are among 350 Red Cross volunteers serving in Florida as Hurricane Helene made landfall near Tallahassee, Florida, late Thursday. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Vera Kelly, of Tallahassee, lies on a cot after evacuating to a hurricane shelter with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, at Fairview Middle School, ahead of Hurricane Helene, expected to make landfall here today, in Leon County, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 2:51 p.m. PDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Helene in the Gulf of Mexico, Wednesday, Sept. 25 2024. (NOAA via AP)

Sharonda and Victor Davis, of Tallahassee, sit with their children Victoria background left, and Amaya, background right, inside a hurricane evacuation shelter at Fairview Middle School, ahead of Hurricane Helene, expected to make landfall here today, in Leon County, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Power crews get ready to restore power lost as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida panhandle Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A truck drives through a flooded street around the Sunset Park neighborhood as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida panhandle on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Jerry McCullen, top of ladder left, and Carson Baze, top of ladder right, put plywood over the windows of a house ahead of Hurricane Helene, expected to make landfall Thursday evening, in Alligator Point, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Louis Ward, 57, rides his bike along the the Gulfport waterfront as it takes on water as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida Panhandle, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in Gulfport. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Lina Anasri, 19, enjoys the winds and waves along the beach as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida panhandle, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in Pass-a-Grille, Fla. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Flooded streets after the Hurricane Helene are seen in Madeira Beach, Fla.,Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A man lights charcoal to cook dinner in his flooded home after the passage of Hurricane Helene in Guanimar, Artemisa province, Cuba, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Charles Starling, a lineman with Team Fishel, is pelted with rain as he walks by a row of electrical line trucks stage in a field in The Villages, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in preparation for damage from Hurricane Helene. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

The St. Pete Pier is pictured among high winds and waves as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida panhandle, passing west of Tampa Bay, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Guests at the Magic Kingdom break out ponchos at Cinderella Castle as bands of weather from Hurricane Helene move through Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. All four of Disney's Florida theme parks remained open Thursday as the storm passed to the west in the Gulf of Mexico. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

Surfers take advantage of heavy winds along Higgs Beach in Key West, Florida, on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Despite passing the Florida Keys by hundreds of miles, sustained winds over 40 mph churned up the usually calm, nearshore waters. (Rob O'Neal/The Key West Citizen via AP)

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By Marvin Clemons / Las Vegas Review-Journal

September 26, 2024 - 2:07 pm

Updated September 26, 2024 - 10:11 pm

A veteran and a rookie from Southern Nevada are among 350 Red Cross volunteers serving in Florida as Hurricane Helene made landfall near Tallahassee, Florida, late Thursday.

Tammy Brandl of Pahrump, who has deployed 24 times, and first-time deployee Karla Brown of Henderson are headed to the Sunshine State’s Big Bend region, according to a news release.

Brandl and Brown will start off in Tallahassee and then be assigned to emergency shelters, said Nevada Red Cross spokesman Keith Paul.

Helene will be so large that Hurricane Force wind gusts 75-100 mph+ will extend well inland before landfall around 11 PM - 1 AM

This is beyond what we've seen here in modern times. pic.twitter.com/DFAoSXMp0v

— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) September 26, 2024

The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia all declared emergencies in their states.

Mandatory evacuation orders stretched from the panhandle south along the Gulf Coast in low-lying areas around Tallahassee, Gainesville, Cedar Key, Lake City, Tampa and Sarasota.

“The Red Cross has strategically placed supplies, vehicles, and relief workers in Florida to ensure a prompt response after Hurricane Helene impacts the region,” the news release stated. “Coordination with local community partners and emergency responders is underway to provide support at evacuation centers. The Red Cross is preparing about 45,000 snacks and ready-to-eat meals, as well as emergency response vehicles.

After initial training, Red Cross disaster volunteers are prepared to respond to local emergencies, like home fires, offering immediate support on-site or remotely. With experience and additional training, volunteers can deploy to major emergencies or disasters locally and nationwide. Explore local disaster volunteer opportunities at redcross.org/DAT.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.