HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- As the damage and devastation from Hurricane Ian comes into focus down in Florida, a Henrico couple is packing their bags for a special kind of anniversary trip, although their accommodations down in are still not set for a big reason.
Ed and Renee Miller have been married for two years Thursday and are both volunteers for the American Red Cross.
“Packing tonight and trips tomorrow, Miami, Florida,” Renee said.
“I got a call last night from one of my supervisors who said, you know, we don't know if you'll be in a hotel, we don't know if you would be in a shelter, we have no idea. She said, the need is so great, we don't know where you'll be,” Ed said.
Ed has been a volunteer with the Red Cross for several years, and his stories about helping those experiencing disasters led to Renee joining as well. The couple has deployed together several times since their marriage.
Hurricane Ian may soon become the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s recorded history, according to officials there. Millions of people have had their lives completely upended by storm surges, high winds, and heavy rains.
“I'm expecting it to be pretty bad. Pretty bad, meaning roads flooded, Lots of rain, those kinds of things,” Ed said.
“Lots of upset people,” Renee continued.
The Millers are one of nearly two dozen Red Cross volunteers from Richmond who are heading to assist with Ian response, although officials expect that number to grow significantly in the coming weeks.
“We'll be working with people in the shelters. And we'll work in to make sure that they have food and those kinds of things so that they're safe,” Ed said. “What the people in Florida are going through right now, a lot of them have a very sad and they, you know, they cry and they want you to hug them and then things like that. You do have to be focused, you've got to keep an even keel and get your job done. You've got to focus on that.”
“You also get very, very grateful people. They just can't thank you enough,” Renee said.
Each deployment is an opportunity to help, but the Millers said they always serve as a learning experience too.
“It’s called a disaster for a reason. You tried to make things go as smooth as you can, and you try to help the client as best you can, but you know there are things you're going to run into that you probably haven't seen before,” Ed said.
The Millers are proud to be able to help out Floridians facing tough circumstances, even if it means Ed has to extend well beyond his comfort zone: he does not like flying.
“That’s an understatement. I’m not a big flyer,” Ed said. “We have to concentrate and get through it, but like I say, I never turn the Red Cross down for a flight ever.”
“We did talk about checking out cruise ships though,” Renee continued. “We might hop on one if there’s one available before we come back to Richmond.”
You can find ways to assist with Ian response and efforts by the American Red Cross here.
