Oregon Red Cross responders helping Kilauea Volcano Evacuees in Hawaii

Hawaii– Disaster response volunteers from Oregon and Southwest Washington are on the ground on Hawaii’s big island,  helping thousands of people who have been forced out of their homes due to the eruption of the Kilauea volcano.

Red Cross volunteer Jerry Hall of Klamath Falls left for Big Island over a week ago. He says he’s volunteered with the Red Cross for disaster relief all over the world, going on more than a dozen volunteer trips.

Hall said he’s seen a lot, but this is his first experience with people displaced by a volcanic eruption. He said the tone is much different.

“It’s slow and it’s unpredictable,” Hall said. “Tornadoes and hurricanes…you pretty much know what to expect as it happens. This is ongoing and the lava is changing directions all the time and changing areas. So, it’s a lot of uncertainty for the people who live here.”

Hall is a former Southern California firefighter, and says helping others get through disasters comes naturally to him. He has been with the Red Cross for almost a decade.

If you would like to help Red Cross efforts in Hawaii, you can donate here.

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