The Red Cross is sending Tyler Smith from Jacksonville to Hawaii to assist with wildfire recovery. l Steven Ponson, WJCT News 89.9.
Published on August 11, 2023 at 1:49 pm
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Help from Jacksonville is on the way to fire-ravaged Hawaii.
Tyler Smith of the American Red Cross North Florida region will be deployed to Hawaii for three weeks to help with technology needs for the Red Cross. Smith says he’s excited to get over there to help people.
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“Every disaster is unique, and every individual who’s affected by disasters are unique,” he said. “And so it’s, they’re all real special to me. I’m very grateful that I have the opportunity to go over and help people that are in need. And so just any one person that we can help is worth it.”
As of Friday morning, wildfires have killed 55 people on Maui, and that number is expected to climb. The rampaging fires were blamed on a dry summer and winds from a passing hurricane.
Smith says he has been with the Red Cross for about six years and this will be his 25th deployment. Previously he went to Puerto Rico for Hurricane Maria in 2017 and North Carolina to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018. But it was his deployment to Jacksonville for Hurricane Dorian in 2019 that led to a big change in his life.
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Smith said he moved from Austin, Texas, to Jacksonville after experiencing the people and the atmosphere of the city during his deployment here.
“It’s really become my home,” Smith said. “I love the city. I love the people. So it’s real nice to be able to go over there and, you know, show what North Florida can do for other people.”
