The local Red Cross volunteer is on his way to the flood area, along with his partner, Eugene Grzeda of DuBois.
The journey is a long one — about 1,400 to 1,500 miles, Maurer said. And while they initially thought they would be headed to Houston when they left Monday, the volunteers received an update Tuesday that they would be assigned to Baton Rouge, La., another area hit by the aftermath of the hurricane.
“Louisiana has been hit already, and the storm has moved more and more toward Baton Rouge and New Orleans,” Maurer said. “They’re sending more of our vehicles from the East Coast toward Baton Rouge.”
They will be joined by hundreds of volunteers from all over the country, he said.
“There’s a lot of work to be done there,” Maurer said.
The pair are traveling in an emergency response vehicle, which they will use to distribute food and drinks to people in the areas affected by flooding. In places where the water appears to be receding, the vehicle will be used to distribute cleaning supplies to people in the process of cleaning their homes.
“Primarily feeding is what we’re geared to do right now,” Maurer said.
The team won’t know what the accommodations will be like until they reach Baton Rouge, if they will stay in a shelter or a hotel. Maurer said they expect to reach the city by Wednesday evening.
“Once we get there and start doing actual work, hopefully we can feel like we’re doing something,” he said.