By: Kathryn Dean, American Red Cross volunteer 

In 1996, two hurricanes made landfall in North Carolina: Hurricane Bertha, a category 2 storm, followed 8 weeks later by Hurricane Fran, a category 3 storm.  The combined damages produced by these storms in North Carolina totaled over 2.5 billion dollars and caused the evacuations of over a million people.  

Natalie Whitmer, an American Red Cross volunteer based out of Canton, Ohio, was one of those evacuees.  She was living in North Carolina at the time and experienced firsthand being displaced to an evacuation shelter run by the Red Cross.   

Following the storms, she and her husband returned home to assess the damage. “We found that the front half of our mobile home was destroyed.  That’s where my daughter’s bedroom was, so a lot of their clothing and their bedding and all of that stuff was lost.”  Natalie explained. 

The Red Cross had also deployed ERV vehicles, or Emergency Response Vehicles, which drove through their neighborhood and provided food and water after the storm. 

 “They had set up an office, and they just asked the address, where we lived, what happened, what I’m missing, what I need help with, and they gave me a voucher to be able to go and get diapers and clothing for my children, which was amazing…I think it was like six weeks we were without water and electricity.”  

Her story came full circle when in 2024, now Red Cross volunteer, she was deployed to another pair of hurricanes, Helene & Milton, that hit within a 2-week timespan.  There she manned a Red Cross ERV and supervised an evacuation shelter.  Regarding that time, she reflected, “It’s amazing that I’m (now) on this end of it (and) able to do the same.” 

Since joining the Red Cross in 2023, Natalie has deployed multiple times to a variety of disasters, assisting in sheltering, feeding, and other vital roles.  She also now works as a Casework Supervisor Coordinator for the Northeast Ohio Chapter. 

“It’s extremely fulfilling and it’s just so comforting knowing that we have an organization out here that has all of this to offer,” she said.  “I never knew Red Cross had so much until I started working with them, and it just blows my mind. It’s just an absolutely beautiful organization, their mission and everything, and the people that run it, all the volunteers.” 

This holiday season, consider giving back to others by donating your time as a volunteer.  Click HERE to find out more about becoming a Red Cross Volunteer and all of the opportunities available at the Northern Ohio Chapter.