King Of Prussia Man Volunteering With Red Cross To Help Those Affected By Kentucky Tornadoes: 'It's Just Something That's In Me'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local man is trying to help those in need. Last week's tornadoes ripped through multiple states and left immeasurable damage in their wake.
When natural disasters strike, those of us who are unaffected and far away from the damage and wreckage left behind rely on the accounts of reporters and their photojournalists to explain and show us what's happened.
On Wednesday, Eyewitness News spoke with Larry Daly, of King of Prussia, who is in Kentucky volunteering with the Red Cross.
What makes you volunteer to go to these places where people are at their lowest?
"It's just something that's in me," Daly said. "I don't know what it is, maybe it's craziness, but it's just something that's in me. I retired from Abington School District three years ago. I came back with the Red Cross and I've been on the go ever since."
By now you've probably heard the stats – FEMA believes at least five tornadoes battered the state of Kentucky, 74 people are dead, 122 remain unaccounted for, 24,000 are without power, and over 1,000 homes were destroyed.
"The things that I see that you might not see is the people in the shelters," Daly said. "They were really trying to hold their heads up, but it's tough. They lost everything. I've been to a couple of bad areas and the people are still nice, polite, and respectful, but they lost everything. They have nothing to go back to."
Not only have people Daly met lost all their earthly possessions, but he believes there's also a mental health component to the disaster.
"They just don't believe that a 250-mile stretch of a tornado, the biggest one in history, I don't think it really sunk in yet," Daly said. "The Red Cross has brought a bunch of mental health staff in."
Daly said faith is what is keeping most of those he's met going, their belief in a power greater than humanity.
Regardless of your beliefs, here's Daly's suggestion on how you can help: "1-800 Red Cross is the most secure way of helping out," Daly said.
Daly said he's traveled outside of the Philadelphia region on 18 trips now for the Red Cross and that he's pretty much immune to the devastation he sees. He added that it's hard to sleep when he returns from trips like this, which last almost two weeks.
Once he returns, that rest is well deserved for a real-life hero.
Click here to learn how to help those dealing with the aftermath of the tornadoes in Kentucky through the Red Cross.
