Sandy volunteer: It's worse than Katrina

WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (WWLP) - Sandy relief efforts continue in the Tri State area, where thousands are still without power and many more are homeless.

22News Reporter Elysia Rodriguez has been traveling with volunteers from the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross who, have been in storm-damaged areas for weeks providing relief.

The devastation along the Jersey Shore is extensive. Homes there are torn to pieces, business destroyed. In New Jersey alone, nearly 40 people died as a direct result of Sandy.

Several Red Cross volunteers 22News spoke with say it's the worst disaster they've seen.

“This is probably my 15th deployment,” Bill Pruyne of East Longmeadow said. “I started with Katrina and that was quite an experience to start with, and I think this is worse than Katrina. It's much more land mass involved, and many more people involved, and the Red Cross is going to be out here for quite a while helping these people."

The Red Cross has been criticized about the delay in relief to some of the storm-ravaged areas and their use of donations.

So far, the organization has received about $140 million, and of course that number grows every minute. Ninety-one cents out of every dollar donated to the Red Cross goes to services for victims.