Nassau Red Cross volunteer helps pick up the pieces following Hurricane Ida

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Jerry Eiserman of Fernandina Beach is a seven-year veteran with the Red Cross.

On Tuesday he packed his bags and left Jacksonville to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“It’s going to be chaos, what you think is going to happen never does and what does happen you never think about,” Eiserman said.

The Category 4 storm ripped roofs off buildings, snapped power lines, and caused widespread flooding across the state.

Four storm-related deaths have been reported, and there are hundreds of thousands of homes still without power.

Eiserman’s main job is a transportation coordinator, meaning he’ll get rental cars, box trucks, and semi-trailers into the hands of those who need them most.

“With all the devastation over there the availability of the trucks is kind of hard that’s why we have to bring over some from Jacksonville.

COVID-19 has made volunteer efforts even more challenging.

“There’s the mask and the social distancing, and we must do a lot of stuff virtually,” Eiserman said.

But Eiserman said the Red Cross will do its best to help everyone in need during this challenging time.

“People need water, they need ice, they need snacks, food whatever. we’re there to provide the best possible outcomes for them,” he said.

Eiserman will be deployed to help in disaster relief for the next two weeks.

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