The American Red Cross
Shannon King, Charity Director
The hurricane season of 2017, is proving itself to be the worst one yet. With Houston still underwater and more evacuations underway, the American Red Cross prepares for Hurricane Irma. Volunteers for the American Red Cross continue to work around the clock along the Gulf Coast to help thousands of people affected by Hurricane Harvey. Now, The Red Cross is preparing their response for Irma with a call out to their volunteers to get ready.
Hurricane Irma has made landfall in the Caribbean islands as a category 5 hurricane, the highest classification possible. The storm has sustained wind speeds of 185 miles per hour and researchers are hoping that it doesn’t continue to gain force. Hurricane Irma is already the most powerful hurricane to ever be recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The background noise from winds and crashing waves is so strong that it’s being picked up by seismometers used to detect earthquakes.
Hurricane Irma’s path is expected to move to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before heading to Florida. Its landfall in Florida is expected to be catastrophic. Gail force storm winds are expected to arrive on Friday with landfall by the end of the weekend. “The hurricane force winds in Irma are wider than Florida,” tweeted Bryan Norcross, hurricane specialist at the Weather Channel. With intense expected landfall in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are being warned to brace for potential impacts such as flash flooding, storm surges, and strong winds.
Your support and donations are needed more than ever. If you’re looking for a highly rated local charity to support in the wake of Harvey, Charity Navigator suggests the Houston SPCA, Houston Humane Society, Houston Food Bank, Food Bank of Corpus Christi or San Antonio Humane Society.
The American Red Cross is the country’s largest relief non-profit and plays a critical role in national disasters. They have the most resources, largest infrastructure and manpower to be able to respond to such disasters. Trained Red Cross volunteers and employees are ready to deploy within hours of a disaster to help. Ninety-five percent of our disaster workers are volunteers from across the country and $0.91 of every $1.00 goes towards humanitarian services.
The American Red Cross makes sure that people have a safe and dry place to stay, a hot meal and support from trained volunteers in its overnight shelters. They provide emergency supplies in the immediate aftermath of the disaster as well as the days and weeks that follow. Their comfort kits include basic personal care items including a toothbrush, deodorant, and shampoo. Other emergency supplies could include tarps, rakes, shovels, and trash bags to help people clean up their homes and return to normalcy.
The American Red Cross also provide health and mental health volunteers at disaster sites to help people cope. Health workers can provide first aid treatment for injuries, monitor the well-being of people staying in Red Cross shelters, and replace prescription medications or eyeglasses.
The American Red Cross also brings Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs). These vehicles and their volunteer crews circulate around affected communities after disasters to hand out food and snacks, relief supplies, critical information, and provides comfort to those in need.
If you would like to make a donation to the American Red Cross, please visit https://www.redcross.org/donate/disaster-relief?scode=RSG00000E017&gclid=Cj0KCQjwub7NBRDJARIsAP7wlT_O08tL-u4oPi-6eAyXgp99pWjgSjX2flHW5RcnQtrHDSdezhVXjVIaApvMEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJCSnZifkdYCFZGAYgod690GPA . You may choose how your donation is used. Simply click on the drop down option under I Want to Support and select from Disaster Relief, Where it’s Needed Most, Your Local Red Cross, Home Fires, Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Irma.
Thank you for your support.
