And New Jerseyans lend a helping hand.

Volunteers are in Florida offering aid to residents displaced from their homes after Hurricane Milton ripped through communities last Wednesday, leaving a path of destruction and death in its wake.

17 deaths have been confirmed by Florida officials, and around 400,000 are reportedly still without power.

As of this morning.

President Biden visited the storm ravaged state, promising $100 million to restore Florida's power system and 600 million in relief funds to the states impacted by Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

Now, before the storm hit, volunteers with the American Red Cross, New Jersey region went down to the Tampa area to set up shelter for those fleeing their homes for safety.

New Jersey native Riksum Kazi was among them, sheltering with them as the storm passed by.

He joins us now to talk about the work that he and other volunteers have been doing since last week.

Riksum, thank you so much for taking time to talk with us today.

I know you're busy, down there where you are.

Just to set the stage.

You left your home in Essex County just before Milton hit, in Florida.

You headed down to set up a shelter?

Just help us understand what it was like weathering the storm as it came through.

And you were in that shelter with others.

There?

Sure.

Of course.

Thanks for having, having me on.

So, yeah, we, we set up a shelter, what we call an emergency, evac shelter.

An evacuation shelter in Hillsborough County.

With the support of, other volunteers and government agencies.

We were there before landfall, and, we did what we could to support our, the, evacuees.

I can imagine you were not, directly in the impact kind of zone, but, no doubt felt that storm come through.

Just help us understand who was there in that shelter.

How many folks had to flee their homes?

What was that feeling like in that space or so?

We were supporting upwards of 450, residents from the community in the county.

A lot of them were coming from mandatory evacuation areas.

So a lot of them were, afraid, obviously, concerned about what?

What they were going to be returning to or if there was anything left of what there were going to be, hopefully.

You know, surviving their homes.

What do you know about those folks?

How many have returned to homes that were either badly damaged or perhaps even worse?

I don't have an answer for you on that, but I can tell you that the Red cross, along with other agencies, are going to be here long term.

So, they will have support.

It's, it's going to be a long road to recovery for a lot of folks here.

So you're in.

It looks like an emergency vehicle right now.

We can see you distributing food, behind you.

We see that going on.

What is the need right now?

What are the key needs that folks are experiencing?

Absolutely.

So, we were obviously a shelter team, leadership from, the Red Cross side of the house, identified that the immediate need was, feeding.

So my team was reassigned to a feeding mission, and we are feeding, all throughout Florida.

Right now we are in Tampa.

And, we have in my unit 500 meals.

And there are other units like me, and my team here, and we're distributing as much as much, lunch, breakfast and, breakfast, lunch and dinner as possible.

As long as we need to be here.

Do you have enough supplies to meet the need of the community right now?

We are working with partners.

Obviously.

I'm.

I'm on the ground here, so, I really don't have an answer on that.

But we are working with tremendous partners here, and obviously, like, like me, there are Red cross volunteers coming from all over the country to, support this mission.

Riksum as you do your work every day, how often are you able to sit down and just talk to the folks who you're serving right now?

How are they feeling?

What are they experiencing?

Yeah.

So the Red cross continues to operate shelters.

So that's happening.

And I know there are teams that we have that are specializing in, disaster mental health, disaster health services and other things.

So again, all staff, typically with volunteers.

My mission really is to feed, so we're trying to reach as many people with that mission as, as needed.

So for us right now, we're all boots on the ground and rolling and doing what we can to get as much food out there.

There are others that are specializing in the, mental health and longer term, recovery needs as well.

And just quickly, for folks here in New Jersey who want to help and don't know how.

What should they do?

Absolutely.

So again, you can have a volunteer come join us, down here.

But if you, obviously have other things to do, I would consider, donating to the American Red Cross at Redcross.org.

Kazi you're doing tremendous work down there in Florida.

We wish you safe.

Return whenever you can.

And our thoughts and prayers to all those affected by Hurricane Milton.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, ma'am.