Copyright © 2004 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved
By Will Chavez, Staff Writer,
Copyright © 2004 CNO/Phoenix
FORT DEFIANCE, ARIZONA - Living in Oklahoma, Randy Riggs experienced his share of tornadoes.In September, the Jay, Oklahoma, native experienced a much stronger force of nature in the form of Hurricane Frances. The 51-year-old Cherokee citizen is a licensed practical nurse working at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital on the Navajo Reservation.
After Hurricane Charley hit Florida Aug. 13, Riggs and other nurses from the hospital volunteered to go to Florida to assist victims of the hurricane. The category four hurricane caused more than $8 billion in damage and killed 21 people.
The Fort Defiance staff and other volunteers from throughout the country arrived in Florida in August and assisted hurricane victims under the supervision of the Florida State Health Department. People in the Punta Gorta and Port Charlotte areas were the hardest hit, Riggs said. He and the other medical staff were given maps of these cities, and they walked the streets asking people if they needed medical or other assistance.
"A lot of times we found out we were the first official people they had seen in two weeks. We explained we were there to help them to get whatever they needed - health care, dental care, shelter or whatever," he said.
Hurricane Francis, another strong hurricane, began making its way toward Florida about a week after Riggs arrived in Florida. Riggs said the medical staff he was serving with was given the option of leaving before the hurricane arrived. He and a few other medical personnel volunteered to stay in Sarasota to help 10 people in a shelter who had lost their homes to Charley. Frances came ashore just north of Tampa, Fla., on Sept. 5 bringing 105 mile-per-hour winds and eventually caused $4.4 billion in damage.
"It was kind of exciting. I've seen tornadoes, but this was something completely different," he said.
"If you've ever seen the devastation from a tornado, it's nothing like a hurricane. I wish people could see what I saw," he said. "It's something I'll never forget."
Riggs said he was glad he had the opportunity the help people in need.
"I would go back again if they call," he said.
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