Hundreds of trained American Red Cross disaster workers have been working alongside local partners to help people impacted by tornadoes in the Southeast and Gulf Coast. In addition, a dangerous heat wave continues in Texas and Florida. As the climate crisis worsens, disasters are becoming more frequent and intense across the country. In response, the American Red Cross is providing disaster relief on a nearly continuous basis.

Among several other volunteers deployed to regions in southeast Texas and north Florida, Rachael Vieth, originally from the Texas Gulf and now residing in Bonita Springs, is currently on the ground in Houston, Texas. Rachael has been a Red Cross volunteer since 2011 and transferred to the South Florida Region in 2022. Rachael, a retired health professional, serves as a multi-faceted asset to the Disaster Cycle Services Team. She has several roles within the team, ranging from mass care and feeding, sheltering, to casework and recovery services.

Rachael has a unique experience deploying to help those affected in southeast Texas, as she is a native to the Texas Gulf Coast Region, as well as a previous Red Cross volunteer. She has been in Florida for two years, but prior to that, she was the Regional Recovery Lead for the Texas Gulf Coast. Rachael says, “It’s wonderful to be back in my old region and be able to support them again.” When asked about her recent deployment to Texas, she’s familiar and feels comfortable. “It makes my job easy because I know the territory and a lot of the volunteers and staff members here,” said Rachael.

For the disaster relief operation, Rachael is the Headquarters Recovery Care Manager. That role comes with responsibilities such as managing the Mobile Community Outreach Team (MCOT) in the field and assisting them with opening cases for clients. As a result, the Red Cross is able to provide immediate assistance to the affected families and individuals in the areas that experienced damage from the flooding and tornadoes.

The Red Cross is monitoring the weather and standing by to open additional shelters if needed. As new communities are impacted, we will be on the ground providing help in the days and weeks to come. Information is available here on how to get your household ready, as well as steps to help keep you and your loved ones safe.

Support Red Cross Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters like flooding and countless other crises by making a financial donation today. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org/donate to make a contribution today.

Written by Dariana Molina, American Red Cross Public Affairs