8 Rhode Island Red Cross Volunteers Deployed As Dorian Takes Aim

Volunteers with the Rhode Island branch of the American Red Cross have been sent to the southern East Coast as Hurricane Dorian takes aim at the U.S. On Monday, four more volunteers were deployed, bringing the total to eight.

Cyndi Clement, Elizabeth Duffy, Paul Silverzweig and Rachel Webber were the latest round of volunteers sent to states in the hurricane's path. Peter Prowe, Kenenth Sliney, Kathy Wong and Paul Metro were deployed earlier last week. Across the Rhode Island and Connecticut region, there are nearly 2,500 Red Cross volunteers, more of whom could be deployed depending on the track and severity of the storm.

In anticipation of the storm, the national organization has sent extras supplies of blood to the areas expected to be hardest-hit, including 350 units to Florida. As many as 60,000 people could be in need of emergency shelter in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

The deadly Category Five hurricane has already claimed five lives in the Bahamas. The powerful storm is now headed toward the Southeastern United States, where it could make landfall on Florida on Tuesday before barreling northward.