Media contact: Keith Paul
Regional Communications Director
keith.paul@redcross.org | 702-400-7680
SALT LAKE CITY (Sept. 29, 2022) — Red Cross of Utah Chief Executive Officer Heidi Ruster will deploy to Florida on Saturday, joining more than 700 trained Red Cross disaster relief workers from Utah and across the country on the ground helping those in need.
“We all realize it will be days before the full picture of the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is revealed, and the danger isn’t over,” said Ruster, a 30-year veteran of the Red Cross who has participated in many disaster relief efforts.
She will be going to the Fort Myers/Naples area, a swath of Florida that was particularly hard hit by the hurricane. “So far, more than 33,000 people have sought refuge in approximately 260 evacuation shelters across Florida,” said Ruster, who was the Fort Myers/Naples Red Cross CEO before coming to Utah.
Hurricane Ian is still battering Florida with strong winds and heavy rains, and in the coming days will threaten states as far north as Virginia with even more flooding. The storm will make a second landfall Friday, and the entire coast of South Carolina is under a hurricane warning. “As the storm heads north, the Red Cross is working with partners and local officials in several states to be ready to help where needed,” said Ruster.
The Red Cross of Utah leader will join volunteers who were in place before Hurricane Ian made landfall so they could respond quickly. “We have supplies and workers strategically positioned to make sure everyone impacted by the storm has a safe place to stay, food to eat, critical relief supplies, emotional support, and comfort in the face of this devastating storm,” Ruster said.
As a Red Cross liaison to elected officials and community leaders, Ruster will help facilitate communication and ensure the relief effort is reaching those who need it most. “Our work is just beginning,” Ruster said. “We will be side-by-side with our partners helping people for weeks and months to come.”
Disaster recovery efforts continue in Puerto Rico, rural Alaska
Nearly 300 American Red Cross disaster workers, many with no power or water themselves, are working around the clock with their partners to provide comfort and support. The Red Cross also is deploying disaster teams by plane to rural areas of Alaska where Typhoon Merbok devastated a thousand-mile stretch of the western coast last weekend, damaging homes, seawalls, roads, airport runways, and water systems in as many as 40 towns and villages.
How can you help?
Make a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Please give blood.
Individuals in unaffected areas are urged to give blood to help ensure patients in impacted areas continue to have access to lifesaving blood. As the storm takes aim at Georgia and the Carolinas, the Red Cross said it anticipates growing blood drive cancellations in the Southeast as more communities confront dangerous weather conditions.
Please schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets today by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
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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 or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.