BLOOMINGTON – Several dozen Red Cross volunteers in Central and Southern Illinois are headed to Texas to assist with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and the floods that devastated the Houston area.

Red Cross spokeswoman Trish Burnett tells WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn volunteers will serve in two-to-three week deployments and more volunteers will be headed south to relieve the first wave of volunteers. She says Harvey is a crisis that won’t be ‘fixed’ any time soon.

“We see people – I can’t even imagine – flogging through the water knowing you don’t have dry clothes, you don’t have whatever ready accessible,” Burnett said. “We want to make sure those items are there for people; they have a cot, they have a blanket, they have a toothbrush, toothpaste, everything they need for immediate needs.”

The Red Cross is accepting donations to the relief effort in Texas – you can text HARVEY to 90999.. That will place a 10 dollar donation.

This story was submitted by WJBC’s Eric Stock.