Red Cross volunteers in southeast Tennessee return after helping with storm operations

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Two weeks after Tropical Storm Debby wreaked havoc in South Carolina and Georgia, nine volunteers from the Southeast Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross are back home.

Gary Pettway, a volunteer for 27 years, is one of them.

“We go because we know there is a need, and if we don’t, who will?” Pettway told us on Saturday.

Almost two weeks ago, the National Hurricane Center downgraded “Debby” to a tropical storm.

On August 5, it reached Florida as a Category 1 hurricane, killing eight people.

It was Pettway's first time providing hurricane relief.

He has spent the last two weeks working with the management of emergency shelters and the operations center.

“Every mission is different. The situations are different,” Pettway said.

According to the Red Cross, the emergency services provided more than 1,800 overnight stays in over 60 emergency shelters.

“It's the hardest job that you'll love. So it's really hard work, but you'll love doing it,” said Julia Wright of the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee.

But before Gary and the other volunteers are deployed, various training exercises take place.

“Every disaster brings its own challenges,” Wright said. “Train them so they're prepared for disasters.”

One type of training is psychological first aid, which Wright said gives volunteers the tools they need to care for both their families and themselves.

“When these families come to a Red Cross shelter after the worst day of their lives, they are there to offer comfort and compassion, to just listen to them and help the volunteers decide what their next steps will be,” Wright said.

And even though Pettway is back home, the other crew members are still at the very beginning.

“When I leave, other people will come to help them recover. Teams that will help them recover,” Pettway said.

The Red Cross said that everyone between the ages of 18 and 80 was welcome to support those in need.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and so far this year there have been four named storms: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, and Debby.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this season could be one of the busiest ever.

Red Cross data shows that 400 homes have been destroyed so far in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.