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Wilma Relief Work Continues in Florida
Written by
Lesly C. Simmons
, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
Friday, November 04, 2005 — The American Red Cross continues to shelter evacuees in Florida as more heavy rains this week compound the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma and continue to prevent people from returning to their homes.
Local officials have deemed many buildings unsafe, forcing residents to see shelter elsewhere, including extended stays in Red Cross shelters.
“Earlier this week we got so many calls from people saying their roofs were caving in when the rain started,” said Erica Mayor with the Greater Miami & the Keys chapter of the Red Cross. Many people who were able to return home after the storm found themselves forced to leave once again due to storm damage.
Residents from Key West, Fla., who endured Wilma's hurricane force winds and storm surge, begin lining up early to receive hot meals from an American Red Cross mobile kitchen. Twenty-two volunteers from Tallahassee, Fla., staff this kitchen, which can produce up to 7,000 hot meals per day.
(Photo Credit: Gene Dailey/American Red Cross)
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The Red Cross currently has more than 10 shelters open in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties. Schools in Broward County are scheduled to reopen Monday morning, so the Red Cross is moving shelter residents to other locations.
Power outages still exist for hundreds of thousands, although Florida’s power companies have restored power for nearly 90 percent of those who lost it due to Wilma. The Red Cross is working with other agencies to find the best ways to support affected residents.
“In Dade County the Red Cross, FEMA, and county officials are working together to figure out how best to help people that still don’t have power, or that don’t know they might be eligible for some assistance,” said Mayor.
Katrina, Rita Shelters Still Open
Meanwhile, sheltering operations for those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are ongoing. More than 1,500 people are still living in Red Cross shelters in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall, the Red Cross has provided hurricane survivors with nearly 3.4 million overnight stays in nearly 1,100 shelters across 27 states and the District of Columbia.
More than 211,400 Red Cross disaster relief workers from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have been assigned to the various operations set up around the country to respond to this year’s hurricane season.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Midwest ice storms, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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