SOUTH CAROLINA, April 9, 2025 – Sixteen disaster-trained responders from the American Red Cross of South Carolina are helping to support disaster relief operations across the Midwest and South. Last week, dangerous tornadoes and severe flooding forced residents to evacuate. With people unable to return to their homes, the Red Cross is working alongside our partners to provide safe shelter, meals, emotional support and health services.  

“I’m a shelter supervisor. This is my 10th deployment,” said Andi Stewart, a Red Cross volunteer from Bluffton, SC who recently deployed to St. Louis, Missouri. Stewart is from the Charleston Lowcountry Chapter and helps to onboard new volunteers when not deployed. In Missouri, she will work with a team of shelter volunteers to ensure families have a safe place to stay as they begin their recovery process.

As part of a massive multi-state relief effort, the Red Cross is providing essential emergency assistance to thousands of families affected by the relentless floods and storms. In the last week, some 157 reported tornadoes touched down across multiple states. Now a new system of severe thunderstorms is threatening as many as 30 million people in some of the same areas where homes, roads and infrastructure are already devastated.

The Red Cross is on the ground across the affected states, working with state and local officials to help people impacted by these storms. Over 960 trained Red Cross responders have worked alongside our partners 24/7 to provide safe shelter, nutritious meals and emergency supplies across 240,000 square miles stretching from Texas to Ohio.  

The Red Cross of South Carolina stands ready to deploy more disaster-trained workers to help our neighbors in need. 

BECOME A VOLUNTEER The American Red Cross asks you to consider giving the gift of time and help people in need as a volunteer in South Carolina. Depending on your interests, the Red Cross offers a variety of volunteer opportunities — from supporting a family after a fire in their home, helping a member of the military during an emergency, or helping us ensure blood is available for patients who need it. The need to help has never been greater. Join us to provide relief and hope when it matters most. Visit redcross.org/volunteer and get started today.  

To ensure people have the help they need, the Red Cross depends on public support. Please click, text or call to support Red Cross Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters like fires and countless other crises. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.  

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/SouthCarolina or follow us on social media @RedCrossSC.