NUECES COUNTY, Texas — Trained American Red Cross volunteers are conducting disaster assessments in Jim Wells, Duval, and Nueces counties—the areas most affected by the Thursday's severe storm.
"The American Red Cross was making their rounds on Saturday. They were asking if everyone was okay, if anyone was hurt and what kind of damages," Petronila resident, Michelle Betancourt said.
Volunteers have been offering immediate assistance to those in need.
"They provided some traps, some ready to eat meals and some water," Betancourt said.
Executive Director for the Coastal Bend Chapter of the American Red Cross, Angelina Garcia, explained that this is the initial phase of their disaster response.
"The Red Cross specially trained volunteers are currently conducting disaster assessments in the counties most affected and that is Jim Wells, Duval and Nueces Counties," Garcia said.
Research shows that smaller neighborhoods or colonias in outlying areas typically take longer to recover from disasters. The American Red Cross has been working to address these challenges.
"By far Petronila is still dealing with sporadic power outages so we've been doing mobile feeding there," Garcia said. We've partnered with Coastal Bend Food Bank for food distribution in Driscoll to make sure we were covering the community of Petronila."
Despite these efforts, residents like Betancourt, believe more assistance is needed.
"We're dealing still with a lot of debris and trash. We're dealing with lack of leadership and by that I mean, there's no feedback to show us those people we voted for are here for us," Betancourt said.
The American Red Cross plans to continue working across all three counties to ensure everyone receives the help they need.
