Two years ago, severe summer storms buffeted the Miss-Lou, leaving many Franklin County residents in the dark — including a man with severe asthma.

When Red Cross volunteers happened upon his home during a post-storm patrol, the man had been without power — and therefore, without an oxygen machine — for four days. He had to sleep in a chair because he could not lie down without coughing uncontrollably.

But when they found him, volunteers from the Red Cross sprang into action, getting the man into a hotel room until power was restored to his home. And it is experiences like that that make Don Winters, one of the workers on duty that day, proud to be a Red Cross disaster services volunteer.

&uot;It’s just knowing that you’ve been able to help someone who might not get help otherwise,&uot; Winters said.

Winters worked as an emergency medical technician for five years and, through that work, got to see firsthand the services the Red Cross performs in times of need.

So when Adams County volunteers had to set up shelters for Hurricane Andrew evacuees in 1992, Winters answered the call, helping at the shelter in any way he could.

Since then, he has volunteered following several local natural disasters, including strong winds that caused injuries and severe property damage in Natchez in 1998.

After that storm, Winters did everything from helping barricade the hardest-hit areas and assessing damage to dispatching volunteers and getting refreshments for victims and workers.

Currently, Winters is helping Dianne Cox, director of the Red Cross’ Adams County chapter, with a mock tropical storm drill designed to make sure the organization is ready for a real disaster. He has taken, and now teaches, courses in disaster services, damage assessment, shelter management and mass care, or feeding of disaster victims.

&uot;You’re serving people in need,&uot; Winters said. &uot;Besides, you never know when you or someone you know may be the one who needs help.&uot;