Jacksonville Red Cross sending volunteers to aid in recovery from Francine

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than 300,000 people were left without power in Louisiana after the now-tropical depression Francine made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in Louisiana.

Now, Jacksonville’s Red Cross is sending three volunteers to the front lines to help provide shelter and warm meals to those in need after record-high rainfall.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

“We’ll set up cots and we’ll set up what we call an intake station,” Jacksonville Red Cross volunteer John Gilman said. “They’ll sleep there and we’ll feed them three meals and snacks.”

Gilman, Mark Chambers, and Kimberly Broadwater all hit the road at 9 a.m. Thursday morning, headed to a Red Cross meeting point in Mississippi where they’ll then be dispersed as needed.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Chambers told Action News Jax ahead of the journey that while it’s important work, they’re fully prepared for the troubles and challenges this relief effort may present.

“Let’s face it, a hurricane is a disaster and it’s chaos. So if you’re working for the Red Cross you gotta be very flexible and very patient,” Chambers said. “Because it’s chaotic at times.”

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.