Local hurricane relief efforts underway in preparation for Hurricane Florence



FIFE, Wash. -- As Hurrricane Florence barrels towards the East Coast, some local organizations are doing what they can to help with relief efforts.

Groups like Bloodworks Northwest and World Vision USA are sending as much as they can to hurricane evacuees. They’re sending food and diapers and sending personal items like  shampoo and toothpaste to help people get their lives back on track.

With nearly 2 million people evacuating the Carolinas and Virginia to escape Hurricane Florence, local relief organizations are stepping up to answer the call for help.

“Blood centers in that part of the country have asked other blood centers to provide units of blood so that their patients can continue to be cared for,” said Dr. James AuBuchon, president and CEO of Bloodworks Northwest.

Hurricane Florence is expected to hit by Friday morning with winds reaching 130 mph. Bloodworks Northwest has already sent 34 units of blood but more donations are needed.

“We’re trying to encourage people to come in and donate today so that we will have blood to not only care for the folks in Seattle, but to care for those in harm’s way of the hurricane,” AuBuchon said.

World Vision USA is also gearing up to send food and relief supplies to the East Coast as the hurricane approaches.

“We’re getting ready to ship a full semi load of relief supplies from our Fife warehouse. Those supplies are headed to Atlanta and then from Atlanta they’ll pull into whatever the most impacted area is throughout the Carolinas," said Reed Slattery, national program director for World Vision USA.

This is World Vision’s first shipment but as the hurricane passes through, they’re going to assess the needs of evacuees and are prepared to send more goods to the affected areas.