The American Red Cross is providing comfort and support to people across multiple states after Friday’s deadly tornadoes and storms.

Red Cross disaster teams are working around the clock with our partners to make sure everyone has a safe place to stay, meals, emotional support and comfort. Shelters are open in Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. We have mobilized relief supplies and additional disaster workers and are working with local and state officials to help ensure people get the help they need. When it is safe to do so, Red Cross volunteers will help assess the residential damage in affected communities. This work will help us to better understand what help families may need in the coming days and weeks.

There were more than 900 reports of storms and as many as 30 tornado reports which caused widespread destruction across the region and left hundreds of thousands without power.

The threat of severe weather isn’t over. The National Weather Service reports the region should expect severe weather ─ heavy rain, large hail, severe winds, dangerous lightning, flash flooding and tornadoes ─ for the next several days, gradually moving to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Another round is predicted for the Southwest. People should get ready now. Safety information is available here for different disasters, including tornadoes, thunderstorms and flooding.

FIND A SHELTER If you need a safe place to stay, find open shelters on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) and selecting the disaster option. You can also find shelters by following your local county and city officials on social media or monitoring local news.

Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need, and all disaster assistance is free. We do not turn away people who need assistance during a disaster. We provide aid to all those in need, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or citizenship status. We don’t require people to show any kind of identification to enter a Red Cross shelter, just their name and where they were living before the disaster.

DOWNLOAD OUR APPS Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies. Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

HOW YOU CAN HELP People are depending on the Red Cross for help now, and we need your support. Please click, text or call to support Red Cross Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters like storms and countless other crises. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to donate. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.

CLIMATE CRISIS The Red Cross is responding nonstop, with a major disaster occurring as often as every 15 days. As the climate crisis worsens and disasters become more frequent and intense, the Red Cross is increasing our capacity to help those in need. We urge everyone to get ready now in case a disaster threatens your community.

HOME FIRE RESPONSE Over the past week, local Red Cross volunteers responded to 4 home fires and helped 13 people in Mount Vernon, Franklin, Virden and Beardstown which account for most of the more than 60,000 disasters that the Red Cross responds to annually across the country. Red Cross volunteers provided items to meet immediate needs after a fire and additional support in the form of shelter, health and mental health services and one-on-one support.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.