Red Cross On the Ground as Florence Brings Devastating and Historic Flooding to Entire Communities

15,000 + in Shelters; Donors Outside Storm Area Asked to Give Blood

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Sep 17, 2018, 16:32 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is working around the clock to provide safe shelter and comfort for the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by Hurricane Florence as the threat from the devastating storm continues.

The storm is still bringing extremely dangerous flooding to the affected region and getting help into some areas will be difficult for some time.

Nyasa has been a resident of nearby New Bern, North Carolina for over a year. She evacuated with her three-month-old daughter Michelle to the Red Cross shelter on the campus of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. A Red Cross volunteer ensures she has all needed supplies for herself and young infant.

"Over the coming days, we're going to see a tremendous need for support. As rivers continue to rise and hundreds of roads remain closed, our biggest challenge will be in getting help to where it's needed most," said Brad Kieserman, vice president of Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross. "We're doing everything we can, including working with partners like the National Guard, to move volunteers and supplies to critical areas. As always, we'll continue to focus on providing safe shelter and warm meals, as well as comfort and support, because sometimes people just need to tell their story."

Disasters are upsetting and difficult experiences for everyone involved. For people in the path of this storm who may have been affected by other disasters, this is a particularly stressful time. So many have had to leave their homes and belongings behind and are worried about what their future will bring. The Red Cross is prepared to support those affected and asks for patience as the entire disaster response team – federal, state and local – works together to get everyone the help they need.

WHAT THE RED CROSS IS DOING As of midnight, more than 15,000 people sought refuge in more than 150 Red Cross and community shelters across the impacted region. This includes at least 14,200 people in 137 shelters in North Carolina, and 819 people in 9 shelters in South Carolina.

About 3,000 Red Cross disaster workers from all over the country have been mobilized to help shelter, feed and support people affected by Florence. Working with partners, the Red Cross has served 150,700 meals and snacks, and distributed more than 2,000 relief items like diapers and comfort kits that contain deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other hygiene items for people forced from their homes. Volunteer mental health and health services professionals have provided some 5,500 contacts to provide support and care to evacuees.

The Red Cross is mobilizing more than 130 emergency response vehicles and more than 70 trailers of equipment and supplies, including ready-to-eat meals and enough cots and blankets for more than 100,000 people. We're also working with the Southern Baptists to deploy multiple field kitchens that can together produce 170,000 meals per day.

PLEASE GIVE BLOOD More than 170 blood drives have been forced to cancel through this week due to Hurricane Florence, resulting in more than 4,600 uncollected blood and platelet donations. The Red Cross urges people in unaffected areas to make an appointment to give blood or platelets to care for patients in the Southeast and throughout the country. There is a critical need for platelet and type O blood donations. Appointments can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

HOW YOU CAN HELP The Red Cross has launched a massive response to this disaster and depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. Help people affected by Hurricane Florence by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS or texting the word FLORENCE to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

The Red Cross honors donor intent. Donors can designate their donation to Hurricane Florence relief efforts by choosing that option when donating on redcross.org or on 1-800-RED CROSS.

CORPORATIONS HELP The generous donations from members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and the Disaster Responder Program enable the American Red Cross to prepare communities for disasters big and small, respond whenever and wherever disasters occur and help families during the recovery process.

ADGP $1 Million members are: Adelson Family Foundation; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Anthem Foundation; Bank of America; Brown & Brown Insurance; Caterpillar Foundation; The Clorox Company; ConocoPhillips; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; Grainger; The Home Depot Foundation; LDS Charities; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Mazda North American Operations; Microsoft Corp.; Nationwide Foundation; New Balance Foundation and New Balance Athletics; PepsiCo Foundation; State Farm; Verizon; VSP Global; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; and The Walt Disney Company.

ADGP $500,000 members are: 21st Century Fox; Altria Group; AmazonSmile; American Express; Aon; Capital One; CBS Corporation; Cisco Foundation; Citi Foundation; Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation; Discover; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Motor Company; General Motors; Humble Bundle; IBM Corporation; International Paper; John Deere Foundation; Johnson Controls; LabCorp; Medtronic Foundation; Meijer; Merck Foundation; Mondelēz International Foundation; Nissan; Procter & Gamble Company; PwC; Southwest Airlines; Target; Tata Consultancy Services; TD Ameritrade; The TJX Companies, Inc.; United Airlines; UPS; The USAA Foundation; The Wawa Foundation; and Wells Fargo.

Disaster Responder Program members are: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; AdvoCare International L.P.; Alliance Data; Assurant; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; AXA Equitable Life; The Ball Foundation; Barclays; BMW of North America; Boise Paper; CarMax; Choice Hotels International; Cox Automotive; DICK'S Sporting Goods; Duke Energy; Entergy Corporation; Farmers Insurance; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; HSBC Bank; Ingersoll Rand Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Land O'Lakes, Inc.; Mastercard; Morgan Stanley; Neiman Marcus Group; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Northwestern Mutual and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Prudential Financial; Raytheon Company; Rodan + Fields Prescription for Change Foundation; Ryder; SC Johnson; Southeastern Grocers Home of BI-LO Harveys Winn Dixie; Standard Textile; Stearns Bank; Toyota; U-Haul International; United Technologies Corporation; U.S. Bank; and Visa.

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. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross