Hurricane Harvey: Red Cross Mounting Massive Relief Effort

Most Deadly and Devastating Hurricane Forecast to Strike U.S. in Over a Decade: Red Cross Mounting Massive Relief Effort

Red Cross Offers Critical Flood Safety Steps as Storm Nears Land; Urges Gulf Coast Residents to Heed Evacuation Orders

Washington, D.C., August 25, 2017 — As Hurricane Harvey nears land, the American Red Cross is mounting a massive relief effort ahead of the most deadly and devastating hurricane forecast to strike the United States in over a decade.

Hurricane Harvey will make landfall tonight along the Texas Gulf Coast with over 100 mph winds and up to 35 inches of rain, leading to devastating and life-threatening flooding. Tornadoes are also possible. The storm is expected to hover over parts of Texas and Louisiana for several days

Evacuation orders are in effect throughout parts of the two states. More than 90 people spent Thursday night in 7 Red Cross shelters and nearly 50 additional shelters are ready to open and support thousands of people if needed. People in the path of this storm should stay informed and immediately heed any evacuation orders underway from local officials.

“This is a dangerous storm and the next few days are going to challenge everyone along the Gulf Coast. This is the time for folks to come together to support one another,” said Brad Kieserman, vice president of Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross. “We are launching our largest hurricane relief effort in years, and with the help of our partners, we are ready to shelter thousands of people.”

The Red Cross is mobilizing hundreds of trained Red Cross disaster relief workers, truckloads of kitchen supplies, and tens of thousands of ready-to-eat meals to support this response effort. Trailers full of shelter supplies including cots and blankets—enough to support more than 20,000 people—are arriving in Texas today. More than 40 Red Cross emergency response vehicles are activated with more on alert. The Red Cross is also working in close collaboration with government officials and community partners in both Texas and Louisiana to coordinate potential response efforts.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The Red Cross depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. Help people affected by Hurricane Harvey by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS or texting the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

HURRICANE SAFETY STEPS

People can find a shelter by visiting redcross.org or by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency App. The Emergency App also puts real time information about the storm and hurricane safety tips at your fingertips. The app is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps. People should also follow these safety steps:

Continue listening to local area radio, NOAA radio or TV stations for the latest information and updates.
If your neighborhood is prone to flooding, be prepared to evacuate quickly if necessary.
Follow evacuation orders and do not attempt to return until officials say it is safe to do so.
Head for higher ground and stay there.
Stay away from floodwaters. If you come upon a flowing stream where water is above your ankles, stop, turn around and go another way.
Turn around, don’t drown. If driving, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. Most cars can be swept away by less than two feet of moving water.
Keep children out of the water.
Be especially cautious at night when it’s harder to see flood danger.
During the storm:

Stay indoors.
Don’t walk on beaches, riverbanks or in flood waters.
Use flashlights in the dark if the power goes out. Do NOT use candles.
Turn off the power and water mains if instructed to do so by local authorities.
Don’t forget your pets. Bring them indoors and maintain direct control of them. Prepare an emergency kit for your pets, including sturdy leashes or pet carriers, food and water, bowls, cat litter and pan, and photos of you with your pet in case they get lost.
CORPORATIONS HELP  The generous donations from members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and the Disaster Responder Program enable the American Red Cross to prepare communities for disasters big and small, respond whenever and wherever disasters occur and help families during the recovery process.



ADGP $1 Million members are: American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Anthem Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; The Clorox Company; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Disney; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; General Motors Foundation; Grainger; The Home Depot Foundation; LDS Charities; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Mazda North American Operations; Microsoft Corp.; Nationwide Foundation; State Farm; Target; UPS; VSP Global; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; and The Wawa Foundation.

ADGP $500,000 members are: Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Boise Paper; Capital One; Cisco Foundation; Citi Foundation; Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation; Discover; Edison International; Farmers Insurance; Ford Motor Company; Humble Bundle; John Deere Foundation; Johnson Controls; McDonald’s Corporation; Medtronic Foundation; Meijer; Merck Foundation; Mondelēz International Foundation; PepsiCo Foundation; Procter & Gamble Company; Reynolds American Foundation; Ryder; Southwest Airlines; Sunoco; TD Ameritrade; The TJX Companies, Inc.; United Airlines; and Wells Fargo.



Disaster Responder Program members are: Adobe; Alcoa; Alliance Data; Astellas USA Foundation; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; AXA; The Ball Foundation; BNY Mellon; CarMax; Cox Automotive; Duke Energy; Entergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; IBM Corporation; IHG Foundation; Ingersoll Rand Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Land O’Lakes, Inc.; Mastercard; Morgan Stanley; Neiman Marcus Group; New Balance Foundation; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Northwestern Mutual and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Prudential Foundation; SC Johnson; SERVPRO; Southeastern Grocers Home of BI-LO Harveys Winn Dixie; Standard Textile; Toyota; U-Haul International; United Technologies Corporation; The USAA Foundation; U.S. Bank; and Visa.
About the American Red Cross:


The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Red Cross One-Month Report on Superstorm Sandy

WASHINGTON - The American Red Cross today issued a progress report on its efforts over the past month to provide food, water, shelter, relief supplies, healthcare and other assistance to people affected by Superstorm Sandy.

“During this first month, the Red Cross has provided emergency relief to many people affected by Superstorm Sandy. But there is still much work to be done, and we will continue to provide help and hope for weeks and months to come,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “This is our biggest U.S. disaster response in more than five years, and we are incredibly grateful for the generous support across the country that has enabled us to help the survivors of this storm.”

Hurricane Sandy was a major storm that impacted an area the size of Europe. The Red Cross mobilized more than 14,400 trained disaster workers to date – 90 percent of them volunteers - to help people affected by the storm. Today, nearly 3,000 workers are still on the job, providing food, water, shelter and relief

Red Cross Providing Thanksgiving to Sandy-Hit Residents

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, November 20, 2012 — As people in New Jersey and New York continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy, the American Red Cross will be handing out thousands of boxes of food before Thanksgiving and also providing about 35,000 hot Thanksgiving meals to people in need.

“As families across America sit down to share a Thanksgiving meal, it’s important to remember that many people in New Jersey and New York are still struggling,” said Charley Shimanski, head of Red Cross Disaster Services. “Red Cross volunteers will be working throughout the holiday weekend to make sure residents aren’t going hungry.” 

The Red Cross will deliver about 20,000 boxes of food in New York during Thanksgiving week. These boxes contain enough non-perishable food to feed a family of four for several days; items such as canned sweet potatoes, green beans and corn, and packages of mashed potatoes and rice. Thousands of boxes were packed by Red Cross volunteers last weekend in Richmond, Va., and additional boxes are being provided through a partnership with Feeding America and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On Thursday, the Red Cross will serve Thanksgiving lunches—including turkey, mashed potatoes and apple pie—from fixed feeding sites in New Jersey and New York. Red Cross response vehicles will also travel through affected neighborhoods to provide these meals. This is a continuation of the extensive Red Cross feeding operation that has been underway for weeks, carried out in partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Thanks to the generosity of the American public, the Red Cross has been helping people since before Sandy made landfall, and will continue to help for weeks to come as families get back on their feet. This is likely to be the largest Red Cross response in the U.S. in the past five years. Nearly 5,100 Red Cross workers are supporting shelters and providing meals and supplies at fixed sites and driving through neighborhoods. Since Hurricane Sandy made landfall, the Red Cross has—

Served 6.6 million meals and snacks

Distributed 3.9 million relief items, such as hygiene items, cleaning supplies, flashlights, rakes, shovels, tarps, dust masks, work gloves and cold weather items

Provided more than 77,000 overnight shelter stays

Made more than 77,000 health services and emotional support contacts

Mobilized more than 10,500 trained workers from all 50 states; about 90 percent of these workers are volunteers

Red Cross: Get Ready for Nor'easter Now

Massive Relief Response Continues to Help Sandy’s Victims

Washington - The American Red Cross urges anyone who may be in the path of the Nor’Easter headed up the coast to get ready for the storm now.

Weather experts predict this new storm will bring heavy rain, strong winds and snow Wednesday and Thursday to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, along with cold temperatures and the possibility of new power outages. Many areas already affected by Superstorm Sandy could be impacted by this new storm.

ADVICE FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED BY SANDY The Red Cross has sent thousands of blankets and hand warmers to New York and New Jersey, and will be supporting some warming centers in the area. Those who need a safe place to go during the new storm are encouraged to come to a Red Cross shelter. In New York City, people can call 3-1-1 or visit www.nyc.gov for a list of both day and night-time warming centers. It’s important for people to check on their neighbors, share what they have and take care of each other as this new storm approaches. 

Red Cross Relief Operation Growing as Nor’easter Threatens

Extensive feeding operation underway with more than 1 million meals and snacks served

Washington - As a Nor'easter heads toward the East Coast, the American Red Cross is preparing to respond to this new storm while the massive relief operation to Superstorm Sandy grows by the day.

“In anticipation of the Nor’easter, we are sending in an additional 80,000 blankets and bringing food and relief supplies to the hardest hit areas,” said Charley Shimanski, senior vice president of Disaster Services for the Red Cross. “We are doing everything possible to get help to where it is needed and are extending our reach into more affected communities every day.”

While access to many areas remains challenging, an extensive feeding operation is underway to get hot meals to residents in New Jersey and all five boroughs of New York, including the hard-hit Staten Island. The Red Cross has fixed feeding sites serving meals today and volunteers are providing mobile distribution of water, meals and snacks in neighborhoods. Shelters are also open where people can escape the cold, receive a hot meal and obtain the latest information on help available to them.