Several volunteers from the Midwest region of the American Red Cross have made their way to the East Coast to help prepare for and respond to Hurricane Dorian.

According to the agency, eight volunteers from Nebraska and seven volunteers from Kansas are deployed to prepare for Hurricane Dorian and help people who have been forced to evacuate as this dangerous storm tracks along the east coast. Additionally, two of the region’s Emergency Response Vehicles (one from Lincoln, Nebraska, and one from Hays, Kansas) have been dispatched to a staging location and are ready to respond to impacted areas.

As of Wednesday morning, the Red Cross and community organizations have provided more than 24,000 cumulative overnight stays in shelters and served more than 19,000 meals and snacks. In advance of the storm making landfall, the Red Cross mobilized more than 1,900 volunteers and has positioned 110 emergency response vehicles and 104 tractor-trailer loads full of relief supplies, including cots, blankets and 63,000 ready-to-eat meals.

Hurricane Dorian has forced the cancellation of nearly 50 Red Cross blood drives and donation centers resulting in more than 1,200 uncollected blood and platelet donations. To assist local blood centers in Florida, the Red Cross sent approximately 350 blood products to ensure patients have access to lifesaving blood as hurricane warnings and evacuations keep many from giving.