© 2024 Iowa Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Iowans Help With Severe Flooding Recovery In South

Flickr / Elaine Vigneault

Two mental health workers from Ankeny have been in Louisiana since Thursday, helping people affected by severe flooding in the region. Carolyn Newkirk and her husband Richard are among the hundreds of American Red Cross volunteers who have been deployed to the southern U.S..

The flooding has forced thousands to evacuate. Newkirk says some people won’t be able to return home. 

"One of the main things we do is try and go around, and talk to people, and find out where they are mentally," says Carolyn Newkirk. "There are people are extremely distressed for many, many issues, and just having a real difficult time. We have others that look at us and just say, 'I'm so blessed. I got out.'" 

There are currently 12 Iowans helping with the Red Cross’s relief effort, including two who have been virtually deployed. That means they are aiding displaced people over the phone or online.