About Our Team
The American Red Cross and a large team of partners continue to work around the clock to provide shelter, food, and comfort to those whose lives have been affected by Hurricane Harvey, Irma, and Maria. The American Red Cross is focusing on multi-island relief effort in coordination with government officials and disaster partners to help the hundreds of thousands of people suffering.
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Hurricane Harvey |
Hurricane Harvey is now being called the worst flooding disaster in U.S. history. It’s been nearly four weeks since Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana. As we continue to provide food, shelter and comfort for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, the Red Cross is delivering financial assistance to people who need it most.
The Red Cross is working very closely with the entire response community – government agencies, other non-profit groups, faith-based organizations, area businesses and others – to coordinate emergency relief efforts and get help to people as quickly as possible.The Red Cross honors donor intent and all donations earmarked for Hurricane Harvey will be used for our work to support this disaster. Americans work hard for their money, and we’re committed to being the very best stewards of our donor’s dollars. The Red Cross keeps our expenses low, and 91 cents of every dollar we spend for this disaster will go to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey. For Harvey, the Red Cross has provided more than 416,000 overnight shelter stays in Texas and Louisiana. |
Hurricane Irma |
In Florida, officials estimate that more than 195,000 homes were either destroyed or received major damage. Rivers are still overflowing their banks in some parts of the state. In the Florida Keys, officials estimate that 25 percent of the homes were destroyed and 90 percent damaged.
In Florida, hundreds of people remain in emergency shelters, and the Red Cross is there, making sure people get the help they need as they plan their next steps. Emergency shelters aren’t typically intended to stay open for long periods of time—that’s why organizations involved in relief efforts strive to help people find more suitable accommodations if their homes are left unlivable after a disaster. The owners of many shelter facilities are also ready to get back to normal business. Some of the people staying in shelters who can’t return home are being helped through government programs, which may include relocating survivors to hotels or other temporary housing solutions. Some shelter residents will be helped through other community programs. |
Hurricane Maria |
The storm destroyed homes, bridges and roads on both territories, knocked out power, damaged water infrastructure, destroyed crops, critically cut cell phone service and caused flooding and mudslides. It could be months until power is restored and early estimates say it will cost $200 million just to repair roads in Puerto Rico. Fuel is available, but conditions make it almost impossible to distribute it. Flooding continues in many areas. Officials estimate that emergency shelters and food support will be needed by a large portion of the population in both territories for weeks.
On Puerto Rico, the Red Cross is helping to reconnect families and distribute critical relief supplies, including food and water. In coordination with government and non-profit partners, the Red Cross is helping to distribute water, ready-to-eat meals, fresh fruit and vegetables, tarps and comfort kits. Emergency distribution of water was provided to several vulnerable communities which were running out of water. International Red Cross workers are helping to set up a mobile satellite phones with a generator to link Puerto Rican communities who are out of touch with family members. Red Cross teams are also assessing what communities need, and providing health and mental health services. On Puerto Rico, shelters are managed by the government, but the Red Cross is preparing to support sheltering efforts if needed. On the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Red Cross is supporting shelters, serving meals and snacks and distributing relief supplies. Nearly 200 Red Crossers are working around the clock to support people who are living in very difficult conditions. Overnight, more than 390 people stayed overnight in 7 evacuation shelters. After back-to-back hurricanes, the Red Cross has handed out more than 10,000 relief items; served more than 34,000 meals and snacks; and provided more than 1,000 mental health and health services to people in need. |
Overall Response Efforts
In recent years, the American Red Cross has launched a wide-ranging relief effort to help people devastated by three historic, back-to-back hurricanes – Harvey, Irma, and Maria. The Red Cross is part of a large team of agencies and organizations responding to provide help to communities turned upside down by these three category 4 storms.
• In the last five weeks, the Red Cross, along with community and government partners, has provided over 1 million (1,156,000) overnight stays in emergency shelters. Shelters were opened in 8 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This includes--
• For Harvey, more than 416,000 overnight shelter stays in Texas and Louisiana.
• For Irma, more than 643,000 overnight shelter stays across six states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• For Maria, more than 97,000 overnight stays in primarily government shelters across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The Red Cross has served more than 4.7 million meals and snacks, and provided more than 1.7 million relief items to people in need.
• Red Cross volunteers have provided more than 142,000 mental health and health services to support and care for those affected.
• A total of nearly 13,000 trained disaster workers, 91 percent of them volunteers, have been mobilized to support hurricane relief efforts. Many of these workers have supported multiple relief operations or deployed multiple times. In addition, more than 3,200spontaneous local volunteers have worked alongside the Red Cross in Texas and Florida.
• Right now, more than 4,600 Red Cross disaster workers and nearly 300 emergency response vehicles are on the ground, helping thousands of people affected by these storms.
How to Help
The need for blood is constant. The Red Cross depends on generous volunteer blood donors to provide lifesaving blood for those in need – each and every day – not only during times of disaster. We are grateful to our dedicated donors who roll up a sleeve to help their fellow American citizen.
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.
Help people affected by Hurricane Irma by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word IRMA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Help people affected by Hurricane Maria by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word MARIA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Learn more about how to help at redcross.org
• In the last five weeks, the Red Cross, along with community and government partners, has provided over 1 million (1,156,000) overnight stays in emergency shelters. Shelters were opened in 8 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This includes--
• For Harvey, more than 416,000 overnight shelter stays in Texas and Louisiana.
• For Irma, more than 643,000 overnight shelter stays across six states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• For Maria, more than 97,000 overnight stays in primarily government shelters across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The Red Cross has served more than 4.7 million meals and snacks, and provided more than 1.7 million relief items to people in need.
• Red Cross volunteers have provided more than 142,000 mental health and health services to support and care for those affected.
• A total of nearly 13,000 trained disaster workers, 91 percent of them volunteers, have been mobilized to support hurricane relief efforts. Many of these workers have supported multiple relief operations or deployed multiple times. In addition, more than 3,200spontaneous local volunteers have worked alongside the Red Cross in Texas and Florida.
• Right now, more than 4,600 Red Cross disaster workers and nearly 300 emergency response vehicles are on the ground, helping thousands of people affected by these storms.
How to Help
The need for blood is constant. The Red Cross depends on generous volunteer blood donors to provide lifesaving blood for those in need – each and every day – not only during times of disaster. We are grateful to our dedicated donors who roll up a sleeve to help their fellow American citizen.
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.
Help people affected by Hurricane Irma by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word IRMA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Help people affected by Hurricane Maria by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word MARIA to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Learn more about how to help at redcross.org