By: Doyle Rader
2022 was a year that found many Americans in crisis thanks to an unforeseen disaster. The American Red Cross responded to 15 billion-dollar disasters that upended lives across the country, including hurricanes Fiona and Ian, flooding in Kentucky and Missouri, tornadoes in the South and wildfires in the West, among others. That is more than twice the number of billion-dollar disasters that struck annually two decades ago.
Closer to home, hundreds of dedicated Red Cross employees and volunteers responded to emergencies throughout the region — from extreme climate disasters like flooding, tornadoes and wildfires to the first-ever national Red Cross blood crisis in January. Through it all, those volunteers never wavered in their efforts to provide relief and comfort to help ensure no one faces a crisis of any size alone.
“2022 showed the breathtaking compassion and commitment of North Texas Red Cross volunteers, employees and donors, who turned their dedication into meaningful action,” said Megan Dulgar, Interim CEO, Red Cross North Texas Region. “Whether it’s providing comfort to a family displaced by a tornado, delivering lifesaving blood to a patient in need or helping a community prepare for a disaster, the Red Cross has been there.”
Thanks to the resolve of volunteers, the North Texas Region, which includes the Texas Panhandle, Big Country, DFW as well as East and Northeast portions of the state along with Miller County Arkansas, was able to serve almost 10,000 individuals, more than 3,800 households in need, while responding to more than 2,000 disasters in 2022.
This year’s extreme disasters in the region are clear examples of the increasing frequency and intensity of the climate crisis. From January through December, Red Crossers from the North Texas Region responded to extreme flooding in Dallas-Fort Worth, more than 20 tornadoes across multiple counties and 160 wildfires brought on by severe drought.
These climate disasters caused tens of millions of dollars in damage and forced many families to start over with nothing. The Red Cross set up shelters, opened numerous temporary evacuation points, provided countless meals along with partner organizations. Generous donors who take the Red Cross mission to heart helped make all this possible.
North Texas volunteers also responded to more than 2,000 home and multifamily fires, helping more than 8,500 people experiencing one of the worst days of their lives. In that time, volunteers also helped make homes safer by installing more than 6,000 smoke alarms in homes. The Sound the Alarm installation program has been in place since 2014 and as a result in the past year, the Red Cross was able to verify that at least six more lives were saved.
“We install free smoke alarms, sometimes customers or clients may think they have everything they need to be prepared for a fire,” said Red Cross Disaster Action Team member Carla Signoret of Fort Worth. “We go out there to check that the batteries are working, make sure that they have several smoke detectors installed throughout the house. We also provide them literature that includes how to put together an evacuation plan, that is a big, big part of being prepared for a fire.”
Disasters and home fires weren’t the only emergency the region faced this year. In January 2022, the Red Cross experienced its worst national blood shortage in over a decade, due to ongoing collection challenges and varied hospital demand during the pandemic. In response, countless North Texans answered the call for donors and rolled up their sleeves to give blood. The region collected more than 6,000 units of lifesaving blood from January through February to help to overcome the crisis.
“North Texans continue to rise to the occasion and show their true humanitarian spirit,” said Brian Moeschler, Regional Donor Services Executive, Red Cross North Texas Region. “In 2022, donors rolled up their sleeves to ensure lifesaving blood was available for patients in need. Our amazing communities showed their compassion by donating blood often and giving the gift of life.”
For crises in North Texas and the tens of thousands of other disasters across the country in 2022, Red Cross employees and volunteers showed tireless compassion in the face of adversity. Aiding them in their mission to alleviate suffering were countless ordinary individuals who stepped up to provide blood, platelet and financial donations. Their efforts made an extraordinary difference during people’s most dire moments.
“We enter the new year filled with gratitude for partners, donors and volunteers, whose tireless support ensures communities will be strong and resilient in 2023 and for years to come,” Dulgar said.
Visit RedCross.org/NorthTexas for more information about how the American Red Cross North Texas Region helped Texans in 2022.