WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (September 5, 2019) – As Hurricane Dorian continues to move along the U.S. coast, the American Red Cross is working around the clock to support people affected across four states. Millions of people live in areas that could be impacted by wind, rain, flooding and a high storm surge, even if Dorian doesn’t make direct landfall.
Wednesday night, some 6,900 people stayed in 116 Red Cross and community evacuation shelters in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. To date, the Red Cross and community organizations have provided over 31,000 cumulative overnight stays for Hurricane Dorian. With the help of our partners, the Red Cross has served more than 45,000 meals and snacks. More than 2,500 trained Red Cross responders from all over the country are helping to support relief efforts. Volunteer mental health and health services professionals have provided some 6,800 contacts to provide support and care to people affected by Hurricane Dorian. In advance of Dorian, some 110 emergency response vehicles and 104 tractor-trailer loads full of relief supplies, including cots, blankets and 63,000 ready-to-eat meals were mobilized.
INTERNATIONAL RELIEF EFFORTS IN THE BAHAMAS:
Our hearts go out to families in the Bahamas dealing with the catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Dorian. According to national and regional estimates, approximately 76,000 people – the vast majority of residents on the two islands – have been affected by Hurricane Dorian. More than 13,000 houses are believed to have been damaged or destroyed. That’s equivalent to about 45 percent of all dwellings on the two islands.
The International Federation of the Red Cross has announced an emergency appeal for $3.2 million to support the Bahamas Red Cross as it responds to the storm. In addition, the IFRC has already released $500,000 from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to ensure an immediate supply of cash for the response teams on the ground.
HOW PEOPLE CAN HELP:
The American Red Cross is not accepting any donations of water, food, clothes, relief supplies or other household items for domestic efforts or for the Bahamas Red Cross. Although we appreciate people’s generosity, our chapter locations do not have the capacity to accept these donations.
People can make monetary donations directly to the Bahamas Red Cross at bahamasredcross.org. The American Red Cross also continues to accept donations for the Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the United States.
You can make a difference in the lives of people impacted by Hurricane Dorian in the U.S. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word DORIAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
For those interested in helping people specifically in the Bahamas, we ask that they write “Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas” in the memo line of a check and mail it to the local Red Cross chapter with the completed donation form at redcross.org/donate, or mention that they’d like their donation to go to the Bahamas if they call.
We know that people are generous and want to do everything they can to help after a disaster. The first priority for the Red Cross is to provide shelter and support to those affected, and financial donations are the quickest and best way to get help to those who need it most.
The best way to support Red Cross efforts in the southeastern United States and in the Bahamas is through your financial generosity.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/southflorida or visit us on Twitter at @SFLRedCross.
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