On Monday, August 10, a derecho tore through our region, causing strong winds and 15 confirmed tornadoes. Nearly 80 Red Cross volunteers with the Illinois Red Cross have worked around the clock to assist those impacted. The Red Cross has provided temporary emergency lodging to nearly 350 people and distributed over 1,000 meals in the last week across the Illinois region.
Our volunteers are providing health and mental health services to those who need it, as well as information about recovery.
Also, Red Cross volunteers have been out doing damage assessment in Forreston and distributed over 300 emergency items, including shovels, rakes, gloves and tarps to help assist with clean-up efforts in Ogle county.
The Red Cross will continue to work with communities, affected across our region, as residents figure out next steps in their recovery process.
Photos of response efforts across region
Photos of Forreston storm damage
Disaster Clean Up
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:
You may also want to invest in:
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 reddcross.org/apps.
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.
Volunteers Respond Three Fires in the Past Week
In addition to assisting residents impacted by Monday storm, volunteers with the Red Cross responded to three fires in Rockford and Thomson.
The Red Cross helped five residents including four adults and one child impacted with a temporary place to stay and information about recovery services.
Since this coronavirus pandemic, Red Cross volunteers have been responding virtually to fires whenever possible. If you need assistance, please call our dispatch line: 1-877-597-0747. You can take two easy steps to protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the risk of dying in a home fire in half.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. 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 us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL