In the last six weeks, the American Red Cross has launched a wide-ranging relief effort to help people devastated by three historic, back-to-back hurricanes—Harvey, Irma, and Maria. The Red Cross is on the ground, part of a large team of agencies and organizations responding to provide help to communities turned upside down by these three Category 4 storms.
Overall Response Efforts
• In the last six weeks, the Red Cross, along with community and government partners, has provided more than 1.2 million overnight stays in emergency shelters. Shelters were opened in 8 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This includes—
· For Harvey, more than 425,000 overnight shelter stays in Texas and Louisiana.
· For Irma, more than 646,000 overnight shelter stays across six states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
· For Maria, more than 168,000 overnight stays in primarily government shelters across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The Red Cross has served more than 6.1 million meals and snacks, and provided more than 2.8 million relief items to people in need.
• Red Cross volunteers have provided more than 165,000 mental health and health services to support and care for those affected.
• A total of more than 15,000 trained disaster workers, 91 percent of them volunteers, have been mobilized to support hurricane relief efforts. Many of these workers have supported multiple relief operations or deployed multiple times. In addition, nearly 6,000spontaneous local volunteers have worked alongside the Red Cross in Texas and Florida.
• More than 100 Red Cross workers from around the world deployed to the United States to help with hurricane relief efforts.
• Right now, more than 3,300 Red Cross disaster workers and more than 250 emergency response vehicles are on the ground, helping thousands of people affected by these storms.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.
http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Our-Response-to-Harvey-and-Irma