BEAUMONT, Texas — Nonprofit organizations the Cajun Navy and the Red Cross are on standby in South Texas bracing for Beryl and ready to help those in the storm zone.
As Beryl moves into the Gulf, the groups are prepared to send resources and volunteers to South Texas.
Ten volunteers are on standby with high water vehicles and medical supplies. A core group of three Cajun Navy volunteers are stationed in Weslaco and seven are in Mission in the Rio Grande Valley.
The Cajun Navy says they're focusing on assisting medical professionals and the elderly.
The organization has relationships with hospitals, medical facilities and nursing homes in South Texas. They also have partnerships with United Way, the Red Cross and are prepared to fill in the gaps.
12News spoke to the president of the Cajun Navy and the executive director of the American Red Cross about how they plan to assist people in need.
President of the Cajun Navy, Todd Terrell, tells 12News thermal drones are available for search and rescue, which are able to pick up body heat in case people and animals are trapped inside.
"Right now, we're not staging no boats," said Terrell. "I don't think it's gonna [going to] be that type of rescue."
While families in South Texas are bracing for Beryl, Terrell says the storm is coming in at the worst possible time on a Fourth of July weekend.
Emergency response teams are ready to rush into action with ten volunteers on standby with high water vehicles.
"Our main thing is going in and making sure that especially the elderly are taken care of," said Terrell.
Spread out between Weslaco and in Mission, the Cajun Navy is packed with medical supplies and back-up power sources.
"They need a ventilator, or they need an oxygen machine, and you know they don't have a generator," said Terrell. "We don't want to put a generator in their house, so these battery back up generators are good."
Emergency Management officials are urging Texans around the South Coastal areas to prepare now. Red Cross volunteers are stationed from Brownsville to South Padre and Corpus Christi.
"Shelter trailers stocked, ready to roll," said Red Cross executive director Natalie Warren. "Our vehicles, you know, just trucks that can pull trailers and just all the assets that are needed to make sure we can operate shelters and make sure the community has a safe place to go."
Both nonprofit organizations are ready to roll with the punches and follow Beryl's path.
"So, whatever we get here, if we get storm surge here, we get a lot of rain," said Warren.
Together, the Cajun Navy and American Red Cross are partnering with their resources.
"A lot of these organizations do a very good job of what they do, but they also don't have the hardware to vehicles and the boats and stuff that you know our volunteers and all volunteers have," said Terrell.
Both nonprofit organizations are prepared to move to the most affected areas as the weather continues to be monitored.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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