Volunteers use boats Monday to make their way into a flooded subdivision to rescue stranded residents in Spring, Texas.

With a vast rescue effort under way in Houston and officials projecting that as many as 30,000 people in Southeast Texas could be forced into shelters because of catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, disaster relief workers from across the country were making their way to the state on Monday — including a Butler County man.

Mike Blessel, 62, of Butler Township touched down at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at about 2 p.m. Monday and was getting ready to report to the Red Cross headquarters, where he would learn more about what he will be doing as part of the organization's disaster relief work in the state.

While it wasn't immediately clear what Blessel would be doing while in Texas with the Red Cross, he said Monday that he would likely be working in one of the numerous shelters that have been set up to house people displaced by the storm, which the National Weather Service said Monday had dumped 30 inches of rain on parts of Harris County, which encompasses Houston.

Blessel, walking out of the airport's baggage claim area on Monday, said he was ready and willing to aid the relief effort in any way possible.

“I'm ready to do whatever they need,” said Blessel, adding that he is trained in casework, driving and shelter work by the Red Cross.

As of Monday police and emergency workers in Houston had rescued 2,000 people, according to city officials, but more remained stranded and in need of help from emergency responders and groups of citizen-rescuers that had begun to form.That's the kind of grassroots relief effort that Blessel, who in 2005 traveled to Florida to help with relief efforts after Hurricane Wilma, said he expects to find in Texas this week.“The big thing really is that we just play our role,” Blessel said. “When we have these disasters everybody's best comes out. The worst brings out the best in people, that's what I've seen.”Blessel has lived in Butler County since 1976, and is a former Armco employee who left the company in 2000 and retired in earnest a couple years ago.He also serves as a volunteer firefighter in Butler Township, with the Meridian VFD, and said he got involved with the Red Cross through his work with the fire company.Dan Tobin, director of marketing and communications for the Red Cross of Western Pennsylvania, said the organization was sending 28 people to participate in disaster relief efforts following Harvey's landfall.Tobin said the Red Cross will be involved in a variety of relief work, including mental health work for victims of the storm, setting up shelters for those displaced by the flooding, and helping to coordinate other relief efforts.“There's a lot of different roles you can play,” said Tobin. “Sheltering is obviously a big priority now.”He said anyone wishing to contribute monetary donations to the effort can give through the organization's website, www.RedCross.org.

Mike Blessel, 62, of Butler Township arrived Monday at the Red Cross headquarters in southeastern Texas.