By Jane Mo
The local Red Cross and Salvation Army have been sending care packages and deploying volunteers to victims of Hurricane Patricia.

Hundreds of families in Texas, like the Martinez, have been left without food or shelter.

The National Weather Service recorded Hurricane Patricia to be the most powerful cyclone in the Western Hemisphere. It has even affected the weather in the northeast region of Georgia.

Joseph Bottoms has been an employee at Athens’ Salvation Army for eight years. He’s worked in several disaster situations, but Hurricane Patricia has left him turning towards the organization for help.

The strong winds and rain caused two trees to fall on his house.

He immediately turned towards his organization, and a Salvation Army officer came out and helped him put a tarp over the top of his roof.

“Even in small disasters, it’s nice to know the salvation army is there and ready to help,” said Joseph Bottoms.

The emergency department of Athens Clarke County says there is no need to worry about dangerous flooding this weekend. However, they do recommend to still be cautious by frequently checking the weather report.

The Red Cross and Salvation Army are still in need of monetary and bulk item donations such as water, blankets, and paper products. For more information, please visit their websites at http://redcross.org and http://salvationarmygeorgia.org