American Red Cross volunteer Joe Mauro surveys tornado damage in Celina, Texas. (Mark Bishop/American Red Cross)
By: LoudPen
In 2024, the American Red Cross North Texas Region responded to relentless disasters and extreme weather at home and nationwide. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather are rapidly increasing, and the Red Cross is in a near-continuous state of response. As of October 1, there have been 24 confirmed climate disaster events, including severe storms, hurricanes, wildfires and winter storms, exceeding $1 billion in losses.
Hurricane season was particularly devastating. In July, Hurricane Beryl flooded already rain-soaked areas of the Texas Gulf Coast, leaving millions without power in the greater Houston area during a heatwave. In August, Hurricane Debby brought flooding and widespread power outages to Florida’s Big Bend and parts of Georgia.
In less than two weeks in September and October, hurricanes Helene and Milton walloped already reeling areas in Florida and the Southeastern United States with a devastating one-two punch. Millions in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee continue to deal with the impact of these extreme storms.
The North Texas Region saw its share of these disasters. In February, the Smokehouse Creek Fire scorched more than one million acres in the Texas Panhandle, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history. Over Memorial Day Weekend, deadly tornadoes ravaged the cities of Valley View and Celina, north of Dallas-Fort Worth.
Extreme weather and climate disasters caused tens of millions of dollars in damage in North Texas and forced many families to start over with nothing. As of October 1, 2024, Red Crossers responded to more than 1,300 disasters in the North Texas Region. Furthermore, they helped provide recovery assistance to 2,300 households and 1,700 families.
The Red Cross opened and operated shelters, set up numerous temporary evacuation points and worked with partner organizations to get people back on their feet after a disaster.
Most disasters that befell North Texans were home fires, the nation’s most frequent disasters. From January 1 through October 1, Trained Red Cross volunteers responded to more than 1,200 home fires from the Panhandle to East Texas and all parts in between. They provided emotional support, helped families find a place to stay and assisted with their recovery needs.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, the region hosted Sound the Alarm events across North Texas in October. They took place in Fort Worth, Dumas, Brownwood, Balch Springs, Dawson, Texarkana, Ravenna, Denver City, Jacksboro, Burleson, Carthage, Gilmer, Ladonia, Dodd City, Windom, Honey Grove and DeSoto. During these events, Red Cross volunteers, employees and community partners went door-to-door to install free smoke alarms in homes.
In 2024, Red Crossers and community partners installed more than 2,000 smoke alarms, making over 900 homes safer. Since 2014, the Red Cross has installed more than 53,200 free smoke alarms in the North Texas Region through Sound the Alarm events and the Home Fire Campaign. These alarms have saved at least 29 lives.
The Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage in August after its national blood inventory plummeted more than 25% in July. Record-setting heat was a significant contributor to blood collection challenges during the summer. The impacts of hurricanes Helene and Milton also presented difficulties for blood collection, forcing the cancelation of blood drives throughout the Southeast United States.
Yet, despite continuous disasters, blood donors stepped up to help the Red Cross keep its blood supply stable. Blood donors in North Texas did their part. Through October 1, the North Texas Region hosted more than 1,500 blood drives and collected more than 31,300 units of lifesaving blood.
With the growing frequency and intensity of disasters and the relentlessness of home fires, the Red Cross is racing to adapt its services and grow its disaster response capacity nationwide. In 2024, Red Crossers responded to more than a thousand crises in North Texas and tens of thousands of other disasters across the country, providing care and comfort to those who need support in the face of extreme weather and other emergencies.
Dozens of Red Cross volunteers from North Texas answered the call to help those in Florida, North Carolina and elsewhere. The lifesaving mission of the Red Cross is possible thanks to volunteers and donors who turn their compassion into action. Get involved and help those in need.
Donate: Visit redcross.org/gift to give a meaningful gift by making a donation. Contributions of any size provide hope during a crisis.
Give Blood: Patients count on the kindness and generosity of blood donors every day. Give blood or platelets to help make a lifesaving difference for those in need. Visit RedCrossBlood.org to schedule an appointment today.
Volunteer: Visit redcross.org/VolunteerToday to review the most urgently needed volunteer positions.
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