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American Red Cross | Help Those Affected by Disasters

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Irma & Maria – Red Cross Relief Efforts Ongoing:

http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Hurricane-Irma-Affects-Caribbean-Southeast-Red-Cross-Responds

 
September 29, 2017

Three weeks after Hurricane Irma crashed into Florida leaving behind widespread devastation, the American Red Cross and a large team of partners continue to work around the clock to provide shelter, food and comfort to people whose lives have been turned upside down. It’s been more than a week since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the American Red Cross is working around the clock with government officials and disaster partners to help the hundreds of thousands of people on both island territories who are suffering right now.

Irma

In Florida, officials estimate that more than 195,000 homes were either destroyed or received major damage. In the Florida Keys, officials estimate that 25 percent of the homes were destroyed and 90 percent damaged. Red Cross workers are providing food, shelter, relief supplies, health services and emotional support in the hardest hit areas. Red Cross vehicles are delivering meals and relief supplies to people cleaning up their homes.

The Danish Red Cross erected a base camp in Big Pine Key, Florida to house Red Cross disaster responders. Housing resources and hotel rooms are in very limited supply on the Keys. This allows the Red Cross to free up valuable lodging spaces for returning residents. In addition, schools that were being used as staff shelters can now get back to normal business.

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.

Maria

Thousands of homes are destroyed or suffered major damage. People are living without power and water. Cell service is out, making it difficult for to connect with loved ones. Only one hospital is fully operational, with dozens more partially so. The storm also destroyed bridges and roads, making it difficult to get help to some areas. It could be months until power is restored with 80 percent of overhead transmission lines damaged. Fuel is available, but conditions make it almost impossible to distribute it. Even as river flooding continues in many areas, more heavy rain is forecast over the weekend, which could lead to additional flash floods and mudslides.

Officials estimate that emergency shelters and food support will be needed by a large portion of the population in both territories for weeks. The Red Cross has mobilized relief supplies to support our response efforts on the islands. This includes: 20,000 comfort kits; 6,000 blankets; 5,000 cleanup kits; 8,000 tarps; and thousands of flashlights, batteries, dust masks, and hand sanitizer. In addition, the Red Cross has sent in generators, laptops, satellite phones and radios to help our volunteers communicate and coordinate response efforts.

On Puerto Rico, nearly 400 Red Cross workers are helping to reconnect families and distribute critical relief supplies, including food and water. International Red Cross workers are restoring connectivity for people impacted by the hurricane and for humanitarian workers on the ground, installing satellites that are enabling Puerto Ricans to reconnect with family members, charge their phones and access information. The satellites and technology also help aid workers as they coordinate relief efforts. 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 has been provided to several vulnerable communities which were running out of water.

The Red Cross has already mobilized more than 250 tractor-trailer loads of relief supplies to help Puerto Rico. 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 in case our assistance is needed. The Red Cross supplies our hospital partners in Puerto Rico with blood products collected in the continental U.S. With local blood collections on the island significantly impacted by Hurricane Maria, the Red Cross has provided more than 1,000 blood and platelet products to help hospitals the Red Cross does not typically supply. These supplies are in addition to ongoing blood product distributions to Red Cross hospital partners in Puerto Rico. While transportation logistics remain tremendously challenging both on and off the island following the devastating storm, the Red Cross continues to deliver blood and platelet shipments to Puerto Rico.

On the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Red Cross is supporting shelters, serving meals and snacks, and distributing relief supplies. More than 200 Red Crossers are working around the clock to support people who are living in very difficult conditions. Overnight, nearly 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 36,000 meals and snacks; and provided more than 1,000 mental health and health services to people in need. Some people are arriving at the shelters with medical needs and the Red Cross is helping them.

Red Cross Response

The Red Cross is mobilizing volunteers and relief supplies to help those in need. Getting relief materials to the islands is difficult, but the Red Cross is working with federal, corporate and community partners to get supplies to the region by both sea and air. The Red Cross relief effort stretches across multiple states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hurricane Irma (Mainland Only)

Overnight, almost 600 people stayed in 7 emergency shelters in Florida.

Along with our partners, we have served more than 1.4 million (1,432,000) meals and snacks across six states.

We’ve distributed more than 647,000 relief items like diapers, bug spray, cleaning supplies, coolers, and comfort kits containing deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other hygiene items across six states.

Red Cross volunteers have provided more than 37,000 mental health and health services to support and care for those affected across six states.

More than 1,300 Red Cross workers are responding to Irma now, with more than 100 additional volunteers on the way.

127 emergency response vehicles are helping to deliver meals and relief supplies across the hardest-hit areas in Florida.

Hurricanes Irma and Maria (Puerto Rico and USVI)

In Puerto Rico, more than 11,400 people stayed overnight in 163 government evacuation shelters.

On the U.S. Virgin Islands, almost 390 people stayed overnight in 7 evacuation shelters.

More than 600 Red Cross trained disaster workers are supporting relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and dozens more are on the way.

After Irma’s landfall, disaster workers in Puerto Rico assisted hundreds of families with necessities such as clothing, shoes, food and medicine. The Red Cross also distributed more than 14,400 relief supplies; provided 5,400 meals and snacks; and, provided health services and emotional support to families and evacuees.

To support people on the U.S. Virgin Islands after both hurricanes, the Red Cross has handed out more than 10,300 relief items; served more than 36,500 meals and snacks; and provided more than 1,000 mental health and health services to people in need.

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 is also working with dozens of disaster partners to support feeding, child care, disaster assessment and other disaster services. Some of the partners we are coordinating with include The Peace Corps, American Radio Relay League, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, All Hands Volunteers, the Salvation Army, Save the Children, Southern Baptists Disaster Relief, Team Rubicon, UNIDOS US and VOAD Puerto Rico.

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 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.

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.