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Volunteer group helps families get in touch with loved ones in the Panhandle

A volunteer group called Florida Search and Rescue is in the panhandle trying to get families updates on their loved ones.

When disaster strikes, family members can often be cut off from one another. After Hurricane Michael, cell phone reception was sporadic and still not fully restored in some places.

A volunteer group called Florida Search and Rescue is in the panhandle trying to get families updates on their loved ones.

Melissa Stoudt is a Dispatcher for the group.

"We go in and we do search and rescue, search and recovery. We deliver supplies food and things of that nature for the victims," Melissa said.

If you have a loved one you haven’t been able to reach, you can go to crowdsourcerescue.com and fill out the information. Dispatchers will get your information to one of their workers in the area who can then go by the home of your loved one and hopefully get you an update on their situation.

For Melissa, being able to tell families their loved ones are OK is worth all of the time and effort the volunteers give.

"I cannot even put that into words. Knowing that I was able to help to connect families. It is just something that you can’t put into words," she said.

It's a chance to give families that are far away at least some peace of mind until communication lines are restored.

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