Coachella Valley man in Texas assisting rescue efforts

A Coachella Valley man who works with the American Red Cross is in Dallas assisting with shelter operations.

Over the phone with KESQ News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2, Brian Daly said he was supposed to be in Houston on Sunday but the weather made it difficult to get there.

He said as of Sunday morning, roughly 2,000 people were taking refuge in Red Cross shelters. Daly said he expectes that number to increase significantly.

“There are 34 shelters open between Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Dallas,” he said.

Daily said the need for shelters is so great, they are being set up in cities hours away from the destruction. He said that in Red Cross terminology, the situation is considered a level seven- the highest that a disaster can reach.

“They need support on every level and so it’s a privilege and an honor to be there for folks in this situation,” said Daly. “We don’t just put you in a cot and say, ‘There you go,’ we look after everyone individually. Everyone has a different story, or a different issue, and we have case workers working with your specific needs.”

Daly said he hopes to work his way to Houston by Tuesday.