Since Idalia made landfall in late August 2023, more than 750 trained Red Cross disaster workers* have deployed to help people impacted by Idalia. Disaster responders have been bringing tremendous support to these communities, assessing damage and connecting with residents of the affected communities to get their perspective on the storm and how they’ve personally been affected.

• Estimates show more than 1,700 homes were either destroyed or received major damage. This information will not only help inform operational decisions about where to focus our services but will also spread awareness as to just how much Idalia has physically, mentally and emotionally impacted families.
• With many insisting to remain with their damaged homes, volunteer teams continue to deliver relief services directly to people in remote areas, including meals, cleanup kits and other resources to help them start their recovery after the storm’s destruction.
• The Red Cross has provided over 2,000 overnight stays in 32 shelters across Florida and Georgia.
• With the help of our partners, we have provided more than 209,700 meals and snacks, and served some 18,700 households with emergency relief items.
• On September 13th, Red Cross teams assisting those impacted by Hurricane Idalia will launch the first round of financial assistance, giving families autonomy to make decisions necessary to meet their unique recovery needs.

*All numbers are cumulative and represent Red Cross Hurricane Idalia response efforts across FL, GA, NC, and SC as of September 12, 2023.  

The Red Cross aims to provide compassionate, thoughtful, and equitable care for individuals and families who cannot go home after a disaster. “Equitable” means we serve all individuals according to their needs, advocating for and empowering their agency to respond and recover. We translate equity into: 

• Rapidly learning, understanding, and mapping the conditions and needs of affected communities, and prioritizing service delivery to those impacted most.
• Reducing the duration of shelter stays through timely, empathetic, and data-driven recovery assistance that provides households with access to the most capable resources needed to overcome their most challenging recovery barriers. 
• Improving conditions for those who are displaced and helping those who can safely remain in their homes to do so. 
• Preventing the most vulnerable displaced individuals in our care from falling into, or deeper into, poverty through recovery assistance and follow-up after people leave our shelters.