Hurricane Ian: More Red Cross volunteers head south; families wait to hear from loved ones

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- More Red Cross volunteers from the Philadelphia region are heading to Florida to help the victims of Hurricane Ian.

Action News caught up with volunteer Heidi Dampman just before she left Philadelphia International Airport.

She joins about 14 other volunteers from southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey already in Florida.

"I'm flying into Miami and then I'll be there until they say it's safe to drive to Orlando," she said.

The storm flooded homes on both the state's coasts, cut off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses.

There, she'll volunteer as a kitchen manager for the Red Cross Mass Care Team, ready to help the victims of Hurricane Ian with meals.

"They'll go do the mobile feeding out of the vehicle -- whether it's in a neighborhood that's been affected or in the shelters," said Dampman.

Meanwhile, family members wait anxiously for news from their loved ones in Southwest Florida.

Margie DiGiovanni's son lives in Fort Myers and has taken shelter with an upstairs neighbor.

"He kept turning the phone off and then turning it back on so we heard from him back and forth saying it's brutal. I've never seen anything like this," said DiGiovanni of Drexel Hill, Pa.

SEE ALSO: Powerful storm scenes: Voices of fear, hope as Ian lashes Florida

Hurricane Ian struck a large swath of Florida on Wednesday, inundating coastal areas with strong winds and high water.

Her son has locked himself in a bedroom because, in the midst of the hurricane around him, he also has COVID-19.

"He has a high fever, and urgent care and everything started closing down," she said.

He sent a video to his mother on Wednesday, showing intense winds making waves in a typically serene lake just outside his condo building.

"I am nervous and just praying, just praying," said DiGiovanni.

Jereme LePere of Point Breeze couldn't reach his mom and sister in Port Charlotte, north of Fort Myers, until Thursday morning when he got a text from a neighbor.

"I got a text this morning from a 561 area code and it was my mom just saying they're fine," said LePere.

LePere says he's still not clear on the damage to his mom's house other than a large downed tree.

"There's a big pine tree in front of their house that collapsed onto their garage," said LePere. "Fortunately I think they had their roof literally replaced within the last year."