Three days before Hurricane Gustav made landfall, I boarded a plane in St. Louis and headed for my sixth disaster assignment since becoming a Red Cross volunteer one year ago. I deployed to Covington, LA, which is close to New Orleans. I waited out the storm with 125 other Red Cross workers as Gustav passed over the Gulf Coast region. We were without electricity for two days in the staff shelter. Of course, there were nearly one million others in the region without electricity, too.
 
In most of my previous disaster experiences, I helped with damage assessment, determining the amount of damage to homes after the disaster hit. On this assignment, I spent the days before the storm moving supplies from Red Cross warehouses to shelters throughout the area in preparation for evacuees that needed a safe place to stay. I also learned how to do some of the financial and statistical reports by gathering information about the towns and cities that could potentially be affected by the hurricane.
 
Now that the storm has passed, I am switching gears and conducting disaster assessments in hard hit areas. I may also be called to help with feeding, sheltering, and distributing clean-up kits. Whatever it may be, I am up to the challenge. I like new experiences and meeting all of these good people volunteering with me as we help families throughout the region.

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