Local woman headed to Colorado to help flooding victims

WARSAW, Ind. -- The massive flooding continues to wreak havoc in Colorado. One local resident is headed there as a volunteer with the Red Cross.

As of right now the death toll is up to twelve people with over 500 people still missing.

With roads beyond repair, over 7,000 people evacuated, and entire neighborhoods underwater, authorities in Colorado are enlisting the help of Red Cross volunteers across the country.

One of those volunteers is from right here in Warsaw.

36-year-old registered nurse Mary Hoffer is set to deploy to Colorado Tuesday.

“I treat the minor things and the bigger things I assess whether they need to go to a hospital or a clinic,” said Hoffer.

Since Hoffer got the email this morning, she has been running around all day long with her checklist making sure she has everything for her trip; including her rain coat, scrubs, and of course medical supplies to help the victims.

This isn’t Hoffer’s first time responding to a natural disaster.

“In January, I went to N.Y.C. for Superstorm Sandy and last July I went to Colorado for the Colorado wildfires,” said Hoffer.

But with more rain on the way in Colorado, the nurse says she is anxious about the condition of the 500 plus people that are stranded in the treacherous flood waters.

“There will be sometime when I am out there that I will probably see the devastation and the flooding, what it looks like and when I have seen this stuff before, it is just heart-wrenching,” said Hoffer.

The 36-year-old said she is thankful her work gave her the two weeks off with such short notice and is happy to help the residents of Colorado.

If you would like to donate your time or money to help the flood victims in Colorado you can do so at www.Redcross.org