Hurricane Ian is striking Florida today as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm bringing catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding. To date, more than 500 trained Red Cross disaster workers are on the ground in Florida to support sheltering and relief efforts as Ian makes landfall. Some 13,000 people spent Tuesday night in hundreds of American Red Cross and partner evacuation shelters across Florida to escape Hurricane Ian and dozens of emergency response vehicles are also pre-positioned across the state.
Celena Roldán, CEO of the American Red Cross of Illinois, speaks about how before the storm, the Red Cross moved truckloads of additional cots, blankets and comfort kits, along with tens of thousands of relief supplies into the region to be prepared to help as many as 60,000 people.
Interview Opportunity:
Ms. Roldán will be available for in-person media interviews tomorrow, Thursday, September 28, 2022, between 9:00-10:30 a.m. at Red Cross of Illinois Headquarters, 2200 W. Harrison, Chicago, IL. Please contact connie.esparza@redcross.org or call (331) 399-5919 to arrange an interview.
You can 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 or call 800-RED-CROSS to make a donation.
Information for open shelters is available on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).
B-Roll:
https://vimeo.com/753940091/17a7321b08
https://vimeo.com/754601348/9b148eb41a
Photos:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jz31gzs1cs98w11/AACu_2MqLNuSyyFV3B2ovMisa?dl=0
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 Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
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