Several tractor-trailers loaded with critical disaster-relief supplies provided by the nonprofit group Convoy of Hope are en path to staging areas Tuesday as Hurricane Idalia barrels toward Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Ethan Forhetz, the national spokesperson for Convoy of Hope, a faith-based organization headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, said his team planned to stop for the night Tuesday near Birmingham, Alabama, to evaluate where their services will likely be needed over the following few days depending on the hurricane’s path.
The National Hurricane Center issued an advisory Tuesday stating that “life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions [are] expected along portions of the Gulf Coast of Florida tonight and Wednesday.”
Read related article: Hurricane Idalia gains strength moving into Gulf of Mexico
Forhetz told FreightWaves, “The situation is fluid in the intervening time and our team is on the phone with our contacts throughout Florida to work out exactly where we’d like to go.”
He said one other convoy loaded with relief supplies plans to go away Springfield on Wednesday morning.
Several truck drivers within the convoy are volunteers “who answer the decision when a significant disaster strikes,” Forhetz said.
“We’ve some incredible drivers who’re able to get behind the wheel and go once we call them,” he said.
Forhetz said drivers for Convoy of Hope were hauling shower and toilet trailers, in addition to water, food and basic necessities.
“We’re also bringing totes for individuals who need containers for his or her belongings and tarps to assist if their roofs are damaged,” he said.
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Read additional Hurricane Idalia coverage:
What to look out for when hauling FEMA loads
Florida seaports brace for Idalia’s impact
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