Red Cross volunteers stuck in Florida

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Shane Halbrook thought he was going to Florida with the Tippecanoe County Red Cross volunteers to provide aid during Tropical Storm Isaac.

"We drove through the tropical storm weather from Orlando to Miami and sat there for a day in Miami and kind of tried to wait the storm out and then they told us the storm had started tracking more west," volunteer Halbrook said.

Tropical Storm Isaac moved west and is hitting Louisiana not Tallahassee, Florida where the volunteers are now stationed.

"All of our volunteers know that whenever they go on deployment they just need to be really flexible and ready to roll with the punches and be ready to go where they are needed most," Red Cross Development Director Liz Wallace said.

Wallace said for the time being volunteers who were deployed to Florida are gathering and preparing to move west once the storm passes.

"The 11 volunteers that we've deployed are placed in different areas but we have heard that they've run into fellow local volunteers," Wallace said.

"Right now I'm traveling with people from Bloomington, Indianapolis, Evansville and of course people from Lafayette," Halbrook said.

Halbrook said all volunteers will make their way to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. He said it's frustrating not being able to help but said 28 emergency response vehicles are ready to get there as fast as they can.

"We'll end up driving out there and when we get out there we'll work for a kitchen more than likely. We'll deliver food to the people and basically when we do that we'll just set up shop like in a church or in another parking lot somewhere," Halbrook said.

Halbrook said they may start traveling west as early as Thursday.