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Red Cross Garners Praise for Flood Relief
Thousands are picking up the pieces after northwest was slammed by winter storms last week that flooded much of the region.
By Katie Lawson, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Wednesday, December 05, 2007 —
Portions of major highways in the Northwest Pacific remain inaccessible due to running floodwaters.
(Photo courtesy: KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA)
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As the Red Cross continues to provide relief to residents of the Pacific Northwest affected by last week’s flooding, Oregon Senators Wyden and Smith praised the organization on the Senate floor and offered their thanks for the recovery efforts.
"We especially today, both of Oregon's Senators, thank the Oregon chapter of the Red Cross, because they immediately moved into the affected areas and opened shelters" said Senator Wyden. "They provided meals and they have now been assisting with the cleanup.
This past weekend, Washington's Governor Christine Gregoire visited several Red Cross shelters throughout the affected areas. Accompanied by other senators and members of Congress, Governor Gregoire toured each shelter and saw Red Cross volunteers hard at work.
"The response from all types of government and nongovernment organizations, including the Red Cross, has been magnificent," said Senator Smith.
Back-to-back storms pummeled the Pacific Northwest a week ago, causing widespread flooding throughout the region. The governors of Oregon and Washington declared a state of emergency as water levels in some areas rose up to 25 feet in less than 48 hours.
The storms, which brought strong - sometimes hurricane level - winds, caused mudslides and power outages and damaged communications systems as well.
The Red Cross continues to respond, supporting many community-based shelters in Oregon and Washington. Emergency response vehicles (ERVs) are also in the region, having distributed more than 20,000 meals, 37,600 snacks and 2,000 clean-up kits to people affected by the storms. The Red Cross continues to coordinate with state officials to monitor the situation and ensure the movement of additional supplies and people into the affected areas.
To date, the Red Cross has opened 21 shelters and welcomed more than 2,500 overnight guests.
Thanks to the generosity of members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, the Red Cross continues to provide relief to residents of the Pacific Northwest affected by this week’s flooding. These donors have helped provide the funding to rush relief to the affected areas, but the need for additional donations is still great due to the vast devastation the storms caused.
People can join Annual Disaster Giving Program members in supporting the Disaster Relief Fund and helping to provide food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year. Log-on to www.redcross.org or call 1-800- HELP NOW to make a donation.
For detailed information on what to do in case of flooding and power outages, visit www.redcross.org. If you are in the impacted areas and need assistance, call your local Red Cross chapter or 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767).
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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