A disaster specialist for the Lincoln Way Chapter of the American Red Cross is lending her 27 years of experience to those affected by Hurricane Isabel.

Linda Yeager of Des Moines serves the Lincoln Way Chapter of the American Red Cross on the operational data management team.

Yeager was called to work with the disaster response team last Friday morning and plans to return Oct. 10, depending on the status of the operation.

Yeager, who is currently working out of Greenville, N.C., said she serves basically as a “number cruncher.” Her core function is to help review bills for payment and expense vouchers for workers seeking reimbursement.

Aside from her regular duties, “[We do] whatever is needed to get the job done,” Yeager said.

She said her job is “not as glamorous” as clearing debris or working elbow-to-elbow with other volunteers. Yeager has also worked with disaster relief teams after Hurricanes Andrew, Floyd and Hugo.

Hurricane Isabel is as typical as a hurricane can get, she said. As in all cases, there are areas with damage worse than other areas.

During her trip, Yeager said she has seen the beach sand relocate into houses and roads. The sand goes into the door facing the beach and out the front door, usually destroying everything inside the house, she said. She has also seen cases where entire houses have been moved because of the force of the wind and sand, she said.

Yeager is staying in a hotel, but said she knows of some Iowans who were looking into shelters because there were no hotel rooms.

“People are willing to do whatever is necessary to get us to the site to do the work,” she said.

The Red Cross is trying a new system for reporting cases, she said. A call center is being used in Virginia where people call in to report damage. After the report is made, a case is created and delivered to the center where the people requesting help reside, Yeager added.

From this case, the outreach goes to interview the people who called in and assess their needs, she said. The new system is speeding up the process, she said.

Trish Burket, an emergency service specialist for the Ames chapter, said Yeager’s position is a vital part of the clean-up process. The Red Cross makes sure everything is in accordance with its guidelines through checks and balances, which is part of Yeager’s job, Burket said.