By Todd James, Executive Director, American Red Cross of North Central Ohio

I recently returned from a disaster relief operation in southwest Iowa, an area devastated by massive  flooding in June. You’re probably trying to remember if  you had heard about flooding in Iowa. You probably did, it was big news for a few days. But as is always the case, something else happened and the news moved on to cover the story of the day. Well, the cameras and reporters may have moved on, but for the people of Siouxland, as they call the region, moving on will be a long, hard process. I am so proud of the American Red Cross responders who left their own homes, jobs and families to rush into the devastation to offer shelter, comfort and hope, and I am honored that I had the opportunity to serve with them.

A month after the flood waters receded, with the help of the Red Cross, the community was able to focus on long-term recovery. What does that look like? It’s different for every family but all will need the help of many partners, non-profits, governmental agencies and the business community, working together. Our Red Cross long-term recovery team will continue to collaborate with these partners, helping and guiding them on how to come together to best serve those on the road to recovery.

The Red Cross is responding to nearly twice as many large disasters as we did a decade ago to help families and communities struggling with more frequent and  intense disasters. In 2023 alone, the U.S. experienced an all-time high of 28 billion-dollar plus disasters that ravaged communities and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from severe storms, floods and wildfires.

This was my 41st disaster deployment and I have seen firsthand how disasters are happening more frequently and causing more damage. There is no more down time between big disasters, time when our responders can catch their breath, come home and focus on the great work the Red Cross is doing in their community. Now we are constantly responding to these large-scale disasters, as well as the thousands of home fires, storms and other disasters that happen every day but don’t make the headlines.

To equitably meet the growing and unique needs of disaster-affected families and communities, the Red Cross is enhancing our large-scale disaster response and recovery services, expanding financial assistance, strengthening local partner networks, and growing our disaster workforce. This effort includes fortifying the critical infrastructure and technology that enables 24/7 response to disasters across the country.

The need to help during disasters has never been greater. Please, join us to provide relief and hope when it matters most. Help people affected by disasters big and small, including climate-driven crises, by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief at redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). Our volunteers are at the heart of our mission and represent 90% of our workforce. Click here to sign up for opportunities to help. To help make sure your family and community are ready for a disaster before it happens, click here.