COLUMBIA, S.C. — Seven disaster-trained volunteers from the American Red Cross of South Carolina are providing support in Hawaii, where dangerous wildfires are burning in Maui.
"It is incredibly heartbreaking. It looks like a landscape in black and white of homes that have just been completely flattened, cars that have had the windows blown out," Mandy McMahon, the public affairs manager for the American Red Cross of South Carolina, said.
She said scenes of devastation now paint the once-vibrant landscape of Maui. Since arriving, she said she had heard several harrowing stories.
"One gentleman - I rode on the airplane next to him over from Honolulu to Maui - and he was talking about a really devastating situation that he had a front-row seat to watch, the wildfires from his boat. It was so heartbreaking for him to watch the fires consume his home," she said.
McMahon said that, amid the chaos, a resilient community has emerged.
"Hundreds of volunteers here on the island, as well as many of the locals who have shown an outpouring of support coming out to help in every way they can," she said. "There's just been a really beautiful outpouring of support of people who just want to help. Locals have come out and given musical performances and spiritual hearing ceremonies; it's been a really beautiful experience to watch."
Nevertheless, challenges persist in ensuring supplies and assistance reach the island.
"It's very challenging to get all the supplies and people that we need to the location," McMahon said. "At this point, we know we've provided nearly 4,000 overnight stays for people who come to our shelters for refuge, but during the day, it's really a beautiful blossoming at our service site."
To donate to red cross disaster relief, visit RedCross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word Red Cross to 90999 to make a $10 donation.