The American Red Cross, in partnership with the Chester County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), opened a shelter overnight Thursday, Aug. 8 for residents who were evacuated from Avondale Apartments because of flooding.

Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby caused White Clay Creek to overflow its banks, and soon water rushed into the first floor of apartments. Power was cut to both buildings for safety, displacing more than 100 residents.

Having experienced the creek’s flooding before, many residents evacuated to The Garage Community and Youth Center nearby, which welcomed them with open arms. The Red Cross had previously staged shelter cots at the center for this very purpose. Within a few hours Red Cross disaster workers transitioned The Garage’s reception center into a shelter.

Forty-four people stayed in the shelter Thursday night, with the Red Cross and community partners providing a place to rest, meals, snacks, hygiene and comfort items, emotional support and other services.

With the water receding and power restored on Friday afternoon, residents who live on the second and third floors were able to return to their apartments. However, the eight first-floor apartments could not be reoccupied for at least a few more days. Thirteen people stayed in the shelter overnight Friday.

Thanks to the generosity of Kennett Area Community Services (KACS), the remaining displaced residents moved into hotel rooms on Saturday afternoon and the shelter closed.

Severe weather like Tropical Storm Debby is part of the climate crisis that has seen the Red Cross respond to nearly twice as many large disasters across the country as it did a decade ago. 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. Visit our website to learn about our work.

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PHOTO: Red Cross disaster volunteers staff the shelter at the Garage Community and Youth Center in Avondale, Chester County. Photo by Dianne Heard / American Red Cross

- Written by Alana Mauger