September 13, 2008
As Hurricane Ike pounded Houston, Galveston, and a wide area of the Gulf Coast of Texas, Red Cross disaster relief teams were already there preparing for the worst.
Red Cross was ready for Ike:
- More than 100 mobile feeding trucks were moved into Texas this week More than a million shelf stable meals are in the state More than 1,400 disaster workers are on the ground there Preparing to open shelters and support the shelter hub system in Texas We are planning for a total capacity of 500,000 meals a day We have tens of thousands of cots, blankets and comfort kits in Texas We moved additional units of blood into North Texas in anticipation of Hurricane Ike.
- As Hurricane Ike hit during the night and early this morning, the Greater Houston Area Red Cross and Red Cross chapters across the state were poised to open shelters after the storm moves through. More than 30 disaster action team volunteers from Western North Carolina Red Cross chapters have been deployed to assist the Texas Red Cross chapters.
- Currently, in support of the State’s Hub Plan, Red Cross State-wide has more than 75 Shelters open housing more than 9,800 residents. This includes 4 shelters in the Huntsville area housing more than 1,332 residents supported by the Greater Houston Area American Red Cross as part of the state’s Shelter Hub in Huntsville, Texas.
- Once Hurricane Ike has passed the Red Cross will be opening post-disaster shelter locations for families who have been displaced from their homes by the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike. Those who have evacuated should let family members and loved ones know your plans and register with the American Red Cross Safe and Well Website. This website provides a way for those who have evacuated to register as “safe and well.” From a list of standard messages, a person can select those that he/she wants to communicate to your family members, letting them know of his/her well-being. Concerned family and friends can search the list of those who have registered themselves as “safe and well.”
- The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
