With only hours to go before Hurricane Florence is predicted to make landfall in the Carolinas, the AIA and its Disaster Assistance Program have organized hundreds of architect volunteers in the areas that could be impacted.

“We’re working to coordinate our architect volunteers in the Carolinas, Virginia, and other states for potential deployment to these areas,” said AIA president Carl Elefante, FAIA, in a press release. “These states have Good Samaritan laws in place that allow for our architects to respond to these disasters more easily should they be called upon. These laws are critical to our volunteers being able to conduct the building safety inspections that can help communities recover more quickly.”

Because both Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina have declared states of emergency in their respective jurisdictions, the AIA can deploy volunteers if government officials seek their assistance.

For members and firms in affected areas, AIA North Carolina has provided a public commenting board on its website for those to report damage, seek assistance, and volunteer to assist. AIA South Carolina has already put out a call for new volunteers for post-storm inspections on Twitter.

For more on the AIA's Disaster Assistance Program, visit aia.org.