Three Bend Red Cross workers heading to flood-hit Southeast

Eleven American Red Cross disaster responders from the Northwest, including three from Bend, were leaving Portland International Airport Monday on a flight to the South to aid in flood relief efforts.

Carrie Sammons and Richard and Theresa Grimes of Bend were among Red Cross disaster responders who will be helping in the agency’s response to the devastating flooding occurring in several states throughout the South after a torrent of more than 18 inches of rain fell in the last week.

The responders from Vancouver, Salem, Bend, Wolf Creek and Mosier in the Red Cross Cascades Region are traveling to Mississippi and Louisiana to assist in the relief effort.

Red Cross workers are providing shelter, meals, relief supplies and health and mental health services in Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Arkansas.

Although the rain is winding down after five-plus days of record downpours, major river flooding is expected to continue for the next few days, as several rivers rise to historically high levels.

Record flooding is already occurring along a stretch of the Sabine River, and will move downstream the next several days along the Texas and Louisiana border.

Authorities fear that levees in Louisiana could fail as flood waters in some areas continue to rise dramatically. Already, more than 1,000 people have been forced from their homes and 3,500 houses face mandatory evacuation.