Volunteers prepare for Hurricane Milton at Red Cross disaster headquarters

MACON, Ga. — Hurricane Milton preparations are underway at the American Red Cross of Georgia’s Disaster Headquarters in Macon.

Volunteers are working with state and local officials to organize shelters for people evacuating ahead of Hurricane Milton.

“Anything that’s needed to help these families,” Red Cross volunteer Carolina Rengifo told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington on Monday.

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Inside the disaster headquarters, volunteers made phone calls and monitored weather reports as Milton churned towards parts of West Florida.

“Loading trucks. Taking them to the communities that have requested that help,” Rengifo explained.

Milton intensified to a category 5 hurricane on Monday. The storm could bring high, damaging winds and threats of widespread flooding.

Kate Zwerk with the American Red Cross of Georgia told Washington providing evacuation shelters is a top priority.

“The most important thing right now is to make sure people have a safe place to stay. So obviously in Florida, they’re opening emergency evacuation shelters. We’re working here in Georgia with local and state governments, GEMA and identifying place where we can assist them for evacuation shelters,” said Zwerk.

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Rengifo volunteered after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Augusta and Valdosta.

Rengifo said she’s prepared to head to communities in Florida and evacuation shelters in Georgia after Milton makes landfall.

“We deliver cleaning kits, tarps, covers. We’re about to deliver shovels and rakes,” said Rengifo

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HURRICANE HELENE: Sister of GA woman, newborn twins killed after tree fell on their home speaks We are hearing from the family of a Georgia woman who was killed while holding her newborn twin babies when a tree fell onto her home when Helene hit.

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