One week since massive flood waters devastated communities in Eastern Kentucky, the American Red Cross is still on the ground helping those impacted by this life-altering event. More than a month’s worth of rain fell in less than 24hours across Kentucky, followed immediately by freezing temperatures complicating disaster relief operations.

“It’s good to give back to the community; to help out in any way we can,” said American Red Cross volunteer Deanna Brown of Georgia. Deanna, along withTracy Becker from Washington state, is driving a Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to Leslie County, KY to deliver hot meals to local residents. Brown and Becker are among the over200Red Cross volunteers from across the country who have deployed to Kentucky to help with disaster relief operations. As of Friday, alongside our partners, the Red Cross has already provided more than 13,000 meals and snacks.

Working with community partners, the Red Cross is providing hot meals, safe shelter, health and mental health support, disaster recovery itemsand care and comfort to residents of the flooded communities. “I am always heartened to see how this Commonwealth pulls together to help those in need,” said Debbie Rainer, Executive Director of the Eastern Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross. “In a disaster of this magnitude, it takes all of us pulling together to provide the much-neededassistance to our neighbors whose lives have been so disrupted.”

So far, with the help of our partners, the Red Cross has provided more than 1,500relief items including comfort kits and other supplies to those living in the affected area of Eastern Kentucky.
 

• For residents in Pike, Martin, Perry, Floyd and Breathitt counties whose heating systems were damaged by the flooding, the Red Cross purchased nearly 600 ceramic space heaters. These heaters are being delivered to those needing them by the respective county Emergency Management Agencies.
  
• In Pike and Perry Counties the Red Cross has teamed up with Fish and Wildlife to deliver clean up kits, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, and other supplies by boat to communities surrounded by water.
• The situation is similar in the community of Lost Creek in Perry County where the local fire department is using airboats to deliver Red Cross ready-to-eat meals and blankets.
• Working with Mercy Chefs, mobile distribution of hot meals is underway in Leslie County. “I help people, but they give back to me,” said volunteer Tracy Becker who is helping with the feeding operation.  “The biggest hugs I’ve ever gotten in my live is when I’ve been deployed on a Red Cross mission.”
• The Red Cross is operating shelters in Clay, Perry, Pike, Johnson, and Floyd counties; as well as assisted with the operation of a shelter at Willard High School in Pike County and providing food for a shelter at Jenny Wiley State Park and snacks and water to the shelter at Buckhorn State Park Lodge.

In our shelters, disaster health volunteers are caring for minor injuries and replacing things like eyeglasses and medications. Disaster mental health volunteers are helping residents cope of the magnitude of their loss.

In addition to service delivery, Red Cross volunteers are already conducting residential disaster assessment to determine how many homes have been affected by the flooding and the extent of that damage. The information gathered through this process is used to plan what support families may need in the days ahead.

Recovery in Kentucky will take time. The Red Cross will be here every step of the way. To support Red Cross Disaster Relief operations go to redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The first 50 days of 2025 have set a whirl wind pace for Red Cross volunteers as they’ve responded to more disasters than there are days so far this year. Today, the Red Cross is operating in a state of continuous response with a major disaster occurring as often as every 15 days.