(American Red Cross Northern Ohio Region) — Volunteers from Northern Ohio have been deployed to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas to help people impacted by Hurricane Laura. Several others have responded to the current wildfires in California.
19 Northern Ohio volunteers have been assigned to help with hurricane relief efforts, after Hurricane Laura made landfall along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas. Four volunteers have been assigned to the wildfire relief effort, and one has been deployed to Florida in response to a tornado that touched down earlier this week.
Along the Gulf Coast, hundreds more trained Red Cross disaster workers are helping people impacted by the devastation left behind by Hurricane Laura — one of most powerful storms to ever hit the U.S. Homes and businesses are destroyed, heavy debris is blocking roads, and hundreds of thousands of people are without power and water. The Red Cross has teams of volunteers circulating through accessible areas to assess damage and provide ready-to-eat meals, water and snacks. Thousands of people are taking refuge in emergency lodgings, including shelters and, in some circumstances, hotels. Red Cross workers are also helping to replace prescription medications, eyeglasses and offer emotional support to people whose lives have been turned upside down.
Nearly two weeks after first igniting, nearly 54,000 people still can’t return home in northern California with devastating wildfires continuing to burn out of control. Hundreds of trained Red Cross disaster workers are focused on providing food, shelter, relief supplies and comfort to people in need. The Red Cross is helping people affected by wildfires in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Additional volunteers are needed to train for disaster responses, specifically to respond to home fires locally and to staff shelters during national disaster responses. Licensed health care professionals are also needed to help people in disaster shelters. People in good health and who are willing and able to receive free Red Cross training and can deploy for up to two weeks can visit www.redcross.org/
The number one priority of the American Red Cross is the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, blood donors and recipients, and the people we serve, and we have implemented several measures, in accordance with CDC guidelines, to protect our workers and those who need our assistance.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Help people affected by disasters like wildfires, storms and countless other crises by making a gift to 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 800-RED-CROSS or text the word DISASTER to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
We encourage eligible individuals to give blood or platelets to help ensure a sufficient blood supply. Learn more here.