Red Cross Continues to Help After Midwest Derecho

The American Red Cross remains in Iowa and Illinois after the recent Derecho that caused widespread damage across parts of both states.

The derecho is estimated to have traveled 770 miles in 14 hours leaving significant damage and debris in its path. Thousands of structures were destroyed or damaged and thousands of people are still without power.

RED CROSS RESPONSE

In Iowa and Illinois, Red Cross disaster workers have worked virtually and in person to:

• Provide more than 30,900 meals and snacks served with partners
• Provide more than 2,600 overnight shelter and hotel stays with partners
• Distribute more than 4,990 relief items

Financial Assistance: The Red Cross is also putting plans in place to provide financial assistance to those hit hardest by the derecho. We will provide additional information in the coming days.

Red Cross disaster workers will continue to provide shelter, food, and comfort to clients who are unable to return to their homes due to power outages or major damage, while helping to assess the damage. Disaster relief is a team effort, so we work with local governments, community agencies and other non-profits to help meet people’s needs.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Help people affected by disasters like storms and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROSS or text the word DISASTER to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

For those interested in helping people specifically affected by the recent derecho, we ask that they write “Derecho Relief” in the memo line of a check and mail it to their local Red Cross chapter with the completed donation form.

POWER OUTAGE SAFETY

• If a power outage is two hours or less, don’t be concerned about losing perishable foods. During a prolonged outage, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to protect your food.
• First, use perishable food from the refrigerator. Perishables are safe to eat when they have a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Then, use food from the freezer.
• If the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. Keep food in a dry, cool spot and cover it at all times.
• Throw away food that has an unusual odor, color or texture. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out.
• Use flashlights in the dark — not candles. Leave one light on, so you’ll know when power is restored.
• If you are using a generator, keep it dry and don’t use it in wet conditions.

Cleaning up after a disaster can mean facing a wide range of hazards, from contaminated water, to animals and insects, to splintered wood and sagging ceilings. At minimum, everyone who helps you with clean up and repair should wear:

• Long pants
• Long sleeved shirt
• Sturdy shoes or boots (no tennis shoes or flip flops)
• Work gloves
• You may also want to invest in:
• Eye protection
• Disposable masks
• Hard hats

Additional information and resources are available on our website and in the free Red Cross Emergency app which is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

COVID-19 has not changed the mission of the American Red Cross, and our volunteers are consistently answering the call, both virtually and in disaster-affected communities. We are taking every reasonable step to protect that workforce from COVID-19 so that they can continue delivering services through this pandemic.

• The Red Cross’ goal is to provide anyone in need after a disaster with comfort and support, and we’ve created new protocols to help keep everyone safe in this environment.
• In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Cross has put in place additional safety precautions in the emergency shelters we manage. For example, we are working with local officials to set up a health screening process for everyone coming into shelters, providing masks, adding additional space between cots, and using enhanced cleaning and disinfecting practices. All of our sheltering protocols for COVID-19 follow the guidance set out by FEMA and the CDC.

CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS HELP 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.; 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; The Coca-Cola Foundation; 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; 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; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; Progressive Insurance; PwC Charitable Foundation; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Sands Cares; Southwest Airlines; The Starbucks Foundation; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; 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; Consumer Cellular; 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; Humble Bundle; 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, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Tata Consultancy Services; TD Ameritrade; Trane Technologies Charitable Foundation; U-Haul International; and U.S. Bank Foundation.