When Storms Hit, Red Cross Finds Missing Loved Ones

As a seasoned reunification activity supervisor, LA based volunteer Mike Farrar (pictured), led a team that located 68 individuals in North Carolina's Ashville region following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, providing much-needed relief to families searching for their loved ones. After finding no answer at one woman's home, Mike and his team discovered her safe in a nearby, fairytale-like cabin. Photo courtesy of Mike Farrar.

By Ellis Levinson/American Red Cross

The Asheville area of Western North Carolina, known for its arts and culture scene and Appalachian beauty, drew attention for another reason when Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck. The American Red Cross, with the help of volunteers like Mike Farrar, responded to the devastation. A 16-year Red Cross volunteer from Southern California, Mike specializes as a Reunification Activity supervisor, locating missing individuals when their loved ones lack the means to find them. Mike led a team that successfully located 68 people during his two-week deployment.

Almost unimaginable damage and flooding had caused loss of lives, homes, businesses and communications infrastructure. The good news is that some who were reported missing were simply lost and not harmed. When neighbors or relatives, termed “seekers”, can’t locate those they care about, they frequently turn to the Red Cross.

“We’ll go to the address and from the address we’ll work out things like talking to the neighbors, maybe going to the local grocery store,” said Mike. “Whatever it takes. A lot of times it’s just looking and asking a lot of questions.”

When seekers contact the Red Cross, they are connected with a Reunification Activity team. “They give us the information like ‘They used to live here,’ or ‘they work over here,’” explained Mike. “Unfortunately, this time there were a lot of friends looking for friends they hadn’t seen in years.” Cases like these are more challenging to resolve without close family connections.

For Mike, the reward of deploying comes when “you find somebody and you’re able to hand them your phone and say, ‘Hey, call your daughter. She’s looking for you.’”

In one case, Mike visited an older woman’s large home with no answer at the door. After scouting the nearby woods, he and his team found a small cabin about 200 feet behind the house where, to their delight, they found her safe. She had been staying in the cabin because her house was too large to manage alone.

Mike’s advice for volunteers considering deployment? “Every deployment is different from the preceding one. If you can hang on to the differences, you can really enjoy doing something that is deeply appreciated by families.”

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.