Webster Groves resident Katherine Beall is heading to Texas where she will receive her orders as to where she will help out with the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac along the Gulf Coast.

Beall is a disaster specialist with the St. Louis Area Chapter of the Red Cross. While on assignment, she will serve in a government liaison role for the Red Cross.

“Government liaison volunteers represent the Red Cross while working with local, state and federal governments to direct and coordinate response efforts, and make sure needs are sufficiently being met,” Beall said in a news release.

Beall began working with the local Red Cross during her first-term as an AmeriCorps member (National Preparedness & Response Corps) in August of 2010. She has volunteered on several disasters for the Red Cross, including the local New Year’s Eve tornado in December of 2010 and Hurricane Irene in North Carolina last August.

She was hired by the Red Cross in July 2012. Most recently she has been responding to single family home fires, participating in drills and exercises and working with fire chiefs and other local response groups around St. Louis city and county.

Beall moved to Webster Groves two years ago after graduating from Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Beall's grandmother lives in Webster Groves, and she has family in the area. She is originally from Georgia.

"I always thought disaster relief was interesting," she told Patch in an interview. "I was a senior in high school when Hurricane Katrina hit and was a senior in college when the earthquake hit Haiti."

Beall said she thinks she will most likely be deployed to Louisiana, one of the harder hit areas from Hurricane Isaac.

Patch will provide further updates as they become available.