Red Cross Prepares to Send Volunteers to Western Alaska

Help is coming after the storm that blew into area stretching from Bethel to Kotzebue

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By Kate McPherson
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Story Created: Nov 14, 2011 at 4:59 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Nov 15, 2011 at 12:01 PM AKDT

Red Cross volunteers in Anchorage yesterday made preparations to deliver relief supplies to communities in the western part of the state.

Last week's Bering Sea storm caused damage to many area villages. Water broke over the sea wall in Nome and winds gusted to 93 miles per hour, tearing roofs off buildings.

The Red Cross says even though many villages in the affected areas are self-sufficient, there are services available to help them if they need it. At this stage, there will be three Red Cross volunteers from Anchorage heading out, alongside state damage assessment teams.

After setting up in Kotzebue, Nome and Bethel, the Red Cross will also travel to more remote communities to assess what relief supplies are needed there. The agency says the rural nature of the geography in western Alaska is definitely a challenge, and the availability of materials to conduct repairs is limited.

The Red Cross says it can provide more immediate assistance to families and individuals while the state can help more with large-scale infrastructure damage assessment and repair.

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