Illinois Red Cross volunteer joins Florida recovery effort after Hurricane Helene

CHICAGO - Red Cross crews from across the country, including Illinois, are on the ground in Florida to assist with recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm.

One of those volunteers is Al Lopez, who drove from suburban Frankfort to Keaton Beach, an area that was devastated by the hurricane’s "unsurvivable" storm surge and 140 mph winds.

Lopez, a Red Cross volunteer since 2023, is helping with his first hurricane response effort. Since arriving in Keaton Beach, he's has provided more than 200 meals and food for 300 people, delivering much-needed supplies to residents struggling to recover from the destruction.

In his 28 years of service in the Army and as a police officer, Lopez says he's never seen anything like this and plans to stay in the area for at least another two weeks to assist with ongoing relief work.

Keaton Beach, located in Taylor County, has now been hit by three hurricanes in the past 13 months. The last major storm was Hurricane Idalia. The repeated devastation has left many residents questioning whether it’s worth rebuilding in the area.