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Ivan Lashes Gulf Coast
Thursday, September 16, 2004 — Ivan roared ashore near Gulf Shores, Alabama early Thursday morning, pounding coastal homes with huge waves, spawning tornadoes, ripping off roofs and tearing down trees and power lines.
As Hurricane Ivan approached, residents along the Gulf Coast sought refuge in Red Cross shelters. |
Morning's first light revealed scenes of destruction, with streets littered with trees and street signs and many buildings torn apart by the howling winds.
Ivan's maximum sustained winds have decreased to 80 mph, with higher gusts, making the storm a weaker Category 1. It will likely be downgraded to a tropical storm but it is still dangerous because of the potential rains it could unleash as it moves over land.
Disasterous weather conditions will continue for much of the morning for southern Alabama, western panhandle of Florida, southern Mississippi and parts of Georgia.
The Red Cross is positioned along the coastal areas from Florida to
Louisiana providing shelter, food and water to thousands of people who
have evacuated their homes to seek safety from the storm, which is blamed for at least 60 deaths as it rampaged through the Caribbean.
Red Cross mental health workers are also on the scene to help ease the
psychological toll of storm-weary residents. They are also
available, via phone, by calling 1-866-GET-INFO.
Heavy rainfall across the southern Appalachians is expected through the weekend. Significant flooding is possible across the mountainous areas of Tennessee and the western Carolinas as over a foot of rain is likely for some areas.
You can help the victims of this and thousands of other disasters across the country each year 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 those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW 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 our Online Donation Page.
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