WASHINGTON — Staff and volunteers with the National Capital Region chapter of the American Red Cross who typically help people locally in times of trouble are now in Texas.

They’re operating close to a dozen shelters in the area south of the town of Victoria stretching toward Corpus Christi along the Gulf Coast.

“Our focus [Tuesday] is on safe locations for people to go,” Regional Disaster Officer for the American Red Cross National Capitol Region, Paul Carden said midday Tuesday. “We’re beginning to expand our operation and services. [Tuesday, Wednesday] and going forward, we’ll be out with partners delivering relief supplies.”

During a disaster like Harvey, it’s amazing how important basic items such as a bottle of water, a toothbrush, soap and a hot meal can be, Carden says.

“We’re also setting up two large field kitchens where we’ll be producing hot meals, putting them on our specialty vehicles and actually driving them door to door in the impacted community — giving people a hot meal,” Carden said.[related_gallery align=”right”]

Nurses also are going into communities to check on people.

People’s basic needs are being addressed — Carden says it’s just the beginning of what promises to be a long, complex recovery period.

“Then our program will get larger,” Carden said.

Meeting with individuals one-on-one, Red Cross workers will offer advice and information to help with recovery plans and connect people with different organizations and resources.

Noting that shelters in Austin, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth are being inundated, Carden says people might be most aware of issues in the immediate Houston area, but damage is wide spread.

“The loss, the suffering, the pain is the same up and down the coast,” Carden said.