The American Red Cross is responding in Michigan after two dams failed last week, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

You can help people affected by disasters and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Call, click, or text to give: visit redcross.org, call 1-800 RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

RED CROSS RESPONSE

The Red Cross is on the ground, helping evacuees after the dam failures in Michigan. There are currently more than 130 disaster workers responding, but in this new environment about 50 percent of them are helping virtually. The Red Cross is also coordinating with our partners and emergency managers to temporarily shelter displaced people in non-congregate shelters such as hotel rooms as quickly as possible. To date, we have provided over 1,600 hotel stays and over 200 overnight shelter stays, along with serving more than 5,100 meals and snacks with partners.

SHELTERING DURING THE PANDEMIC

The top priority of the Red Cross is the safety of the people we serve and our workforce. Regular congregate sheltering presents special challenges and risks because of the coronavirus. Consequently, the Red Cross is coordinating with our partners and emergency managers to temporarily shelter displaced people in non-congregate shelters such as hotel rooms as quickly as possible.

The Red Cross encourages those who plan to stay in Red Cross emergency hotel lodging to bring prescription and emergency medication; extra clothing; pillows and blankets; and hygiene supplies. Additionally, special items for children and infants, such as diapers, formulas and toys, should be brought, along with other items for family members who are elderly or disabled.

KEEP IN TOUCH

It’s critical for those impacted to let their loved ones know they are okay. The Red Cross has two easy ways to help people connect with family and friends. Red Cross mobile apps feature an “I’m Safe” button that helps users post a message to their social accounts, letting loved ones know they are out of harm’s way. The Red Cross also offers the Safe and Well website, which is a secure and easy-to-use online tool.

FLOOD SAFETY

Anyone impacted by the dam failures should follow these safety steps:

• Be prepared to evacuate quickly if necessary. Follow evacuation orders and do not attempt to return until officials say it is safe to do so
• Turn around, don’t drown. Stay off the roads. If you must drive and encounter a flooded roadway, turn around and go another way. Head for higher ground and stay there.
• Stay away from floodwaters. Beware of snakes, insects and other animals that may be in or around floodwaters and your home.
• If power lines are down, do not step in puddles or standing water.
• Don't walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Just six inches of fast-flowing water can knock you over and two feet will float a car.
• Don't walk on beaches or riverbanks.
• Don’t allow children to play in or near flood water.
• Stay out of areas subject to flooding. Underpasses, dips, low spots, canyons, washes, etc. can become filled with water.

CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS HELP The generous donations from members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and the Disaster Responder Program enable the American Red Cross to prepare communities for disasters big and small, respond whenever and wherever disasters occur and help families during the recovery process.

ADGP $1 Million members are: Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Anthem Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; The Home Depot Foundation; Latter-day Saint Charities; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Marathon Petroleum Foundation, Inc.; Mazda North American Operations; Microsoft Corp.; Nationwide Foundation; State Farm; UPS; VSP Global; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; and Wells Fargo.

ADGP $500,000 members are: Altria Group; Aon; Capital One; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental Community Care Foundation; Discover; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Fidelity Charitable Trustees’ Initiative; Ford Motor Company; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Grainger; HCA Healthcare; Humble Bundle; IBM Corporation; International Paper; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; LHC Group; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Merck Foundation; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; PepsiCo Foundation; Progressive Insurance; PwC Charitable Foundation; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Sands Cares; Southwest Airlines; The Starbucks Foundation; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; The USAA Foundation, Inc.; Visa Foundation; and The Wawa Foundation.

Disaster Responder Program members are: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; American Express; Assurant; AstraZeneca; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; The Ball Foundation; Barclays; BMW of North America; CarMax; Choice Hotels International; Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Company; The Coca-Cola Foundation; Consumer Cellular; Cox Enterprises; CSX; DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Dominion Energy; Duke Energy; Duke Realty; Equitable; Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; Lenovo; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Mastercard; Neiman Marcus Group; Northrop Grumman; Northwestern Mutual and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Old Dominion Freight Line; The Pfizer Foundation; Procter & Gamble; Prudential Financial; Raytheon Technologies; Rodan + Fields Prescription for Change Foundation; Ryder System, Inc.; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; Southeastern Grocers Home of BI-LO Harveys Winn Dixie; Tata Consultancy Services; TD Ameritrade; Trane Technologies; U-Haul International; and U.S. Bank Foundation.