Red Cross Begins First Day of National Recovery

Written by Holly Hall, Staff Writer, American Red Cross

September 12, 2001 —  As Americans continued grappling with yesterday morning's shattering acts of terrorism — feared to have killed thousands in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania — American Red Cross disaster relief operations scrambled to offer humanitarian aid to those in need.

Click here for accounts from volunteers in New York

In New York, Manhattan remains in a state of paralysis after two hijacked domestic planes, bearing a combined total of 157 people, crashed into the twin towers of World Trade Center just over 24 hours ago. All aboard were killed, while an undetermined number of people inside the two skyscrapers died instantly, jumped to their deaths or perished when the buildings collapsed less than an hour later from steel-melting heat and explosions.

As rescue workers struggled through the long night — this morning finally freeing nine police and emergency officers from the stories-high rubble — seven Red Cross emergency response vehicles circulated, providing food and comfort to the beleaguered workers. And, as cell phone contact was established with two other individuals trapped in the debris, 14 additional Red Cross vehicles were en route or on the scene offering additional aid.

By 1:00 am this morning, more than 400 Red Cross trained disaster workers had been called to the area, and 12 Red Cross shelters had been opened in Manhattan, where some 150 people spent the night. "The initial site was horrible," said one visibly shaken paramedic. "It is a horrible site, a horrible day." Three more Red Cross shelters were opened in the Bronx, Staten Island and Brooklyn.

At the Pentagon this morning, fires continued in parts of the five-sided military operations center, where a third hijacked jet, an American Airlines plane, pierced the building, killing all 64 people aboard in a massive explosion. Fire fighters there are continuing to fight the blazes, while a temporary morgue has been established some distance away. Two Red Cross emergency vehicles are providing hot food and snacks to workers there and two shelters have been opened in Arlington, Va., near the site.

In Pennsylvania, where a fourth hijacked United Airlines jet bearing 45 people crashed into a cornfield, again killing all on board, the American Red Cross is operating a Family Assistance Center, providing mental health assistance to family members of passengers arriving at the scene. Three Red Cross vehicles are also offering food and other assistance to emergency workers recovering bodies and clearing debris.

In addition-as domestic airline travel shut down completely-the Red Cross opened a shelter in Charlotte, N.C., to give 110 stranded passengers a place to say, while approximately 200 passengers who could not be accommodated by local hotels spend the night in two Red Cross shelters.

Across the nation, within short hours of the quadruple tragedies, Red Cross blood collection centers and telephone lines were flooded with Americans seeking to give blood to help the injured. Many victims are reported to be suffering from severe burns and are in need of plasma, which is derived from donated blood.

While some blood donors reported they were unable to get through jammed phone lines or the long waits at some collection centers, the American Red Cross set up several new blood drives and urged donors to keep trying in the days ahead to make an appointment and give blood. Immediately after the disasters, officials noted, the Red Cross committed more than 50,000 units of blood for use in the affected areas. That makes it likely that the need for blood will become urgent in coming days and weeks, as officials work to recover supplies and meet the need for blood nationwide.