Health officials are predicting a serious spread of seasonal illnesses this year, and the Red Cross is asking for donations to help prevent possible shortages.
The American Red Cross is known for its blood drives, but they actually do a lot more than that. Spokeswoman Sue Thesenga says they also help with large-scale disaster relief as well as responding when a family loses their home in a fire.
The Red Cross says as many as 20 relief workers from Minnesota have been deployed to the southeast United States in advance of Hurricane Irma's arrival. The organization says it's a massive effort to prepare for the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storm ever recorded.