Red Cross Mobilizes as Hurricane Helene Approaches Florida with Potentially Life-Threatening Impacts

You can help by making a financial donation or an appointment to give blood or platelets by visiting redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767)

For the third time in just over a year, the American Red Cross is rapidly mobilizing volunteers and relief supplies to respond as another major hurricane bears down on communities in the Florida Panhandle.

In the last 13 months, the Red Cross has helped during Hurricanes Idalia, Debby and now Helene, which is headed to Florida's' Big Bend region. Helene is expected to be one of the fastest intensifying hurricanes on record which could make landfall with 120 mph winds, up to a foot of rain and a 15-foot storm surge. This is not just a coastal storm - flash flooding may occur miles inland, away from the storm's center.

Evacuations have been ordered for multiple Florida counties and the Red Cross urges people to leave the area immediately if local officials advise. Sadly, some people facing these new evacuation orders are still rebuilding after previous storms. In fact, more than a year later, the Red Cross is still providing shelter to Floridians impacted by Idalia.

"We've been making decisions since Sunday based on weather information that is still developing," said Brad Kieserman, vice president of disaster operations and logistics for the Red Cross. "That's how we create planning assumptions and mobilize in time to make a difference. We look at the risks, we look at the timeline and we recognized that if we didn't start moving resources starting Monday morning, we wouldn't have the resources in place by Wednesday to support our partners and the community. My adage is: Noah didn't wait for the rain to start before he built the ark."

RED CROSS RESPONSE As Hurricane Helene moves closer to the U.S., the Red Cross has assigned some 360 trained disaster workers, deployed trailers of supplies and is ready to open dozens of shelters to help people in need. The Red Cross is also readying some 45,000 snacks and ready-to-eat meals, as well as emergency response vehicles.

In addition, the Red Cross has sent hundreds of blood products to Florida to ensure blood remains available for patients in areas likely to be impacted by the storm. Over the coming days, the Red Cross anticipates blood drive cancellations and lower donor turnout throughout the Southeast as communities confront dangerous weather conditions.

PLEASE HELPRight now, communities are preparing for potentially life-threatening impacts. The Red Cross urgently needs the support of the public to plan for and respond to disasters. You can help by making a financial donation or an appointment to give blood or platelets by visiting redcross.orgor calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

Financial donations to Red Cross Disaster Relief enables us to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. For those interested in helping people specifically affected by this storm, we ask that they write "Helene" in the memo line of a check and mail it with a completed donation formto the address on the form or to their local Red Cross chapter.

Where it is safe to do so, we encourage people to schedule a blood donation appointment on redcross.orgto help restock the shelves. Through our national inventory, the Red Cross has the ability to move blood wherever and whenever it is needed most across the country.

CLIMATE CRISISAs the climate crisis worsens, the Red Cross is well practiced in preparing and responding to storms like Helene. Over the last five years, we've been there for 12 hurricane landfalls along the Gulf Coast.

Hurricane season is kicking into high gear as meteorologists are closely watching possible storms showing signs of forming in the Atlantic. Helene could be the start of a series of back-to-back storms that threaten the U.S.

FIND A SHELTERYou can find shelters on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). You can also find shelters by following your local Red Cross and local emergency officials on social media, or by monitoring local news.

Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability or citizenship status. All disaster assistance is free.

We don't require people to show any kind of identification to enter a shelter - just their name and where they were living before the disaster.

Hurricane evacuation shelters are typically only meant to shelter people for a short amount of time as a hurricane moves through. These facilities may not have cots and blankets available for everyone.

If possible, we encourage people who plan to stay in a shelter to bring prescription medications, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, other comfort items and important documents. Don't forget to bring any special items for children, such as diapers, formula and toys, or for family members who have unique needs.

We do everything we can to accommodate service animals and domesticated pets comfortably in our shelters. Sometimes, depending on the situation, pets may need to be housed in a different location with support from local partners.

HOW TO PREPAREDownload the free Red Cross Emergency app for real-time weather alerts, open shelter locations and expert advice on storms in both English and Spanish. Search "American Red Cross" in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps.

Make a plan to stay safe and know how you'll stay connected. You may need to stay where you are or go somewhere else to stay safe. If leaving, think about where you will go, how you will get there, where you will stay and what you'll take with you. Plan well in advance if you'll need help leaving or use public transportation. Don't forget to include pets in your plans.

Write down important phone numbers on a contact card and carry it with you to reconnect with loved ones if you are separated or if the phone or internet is down. In case the power goes out, have a backup battery or another way to charge your cell phone, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio.

Sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government and know what different types of alerts mean. For example, a WATCH means be prepared, and a WARNING means take action.

Gather critical supplies and organize them into a go-kit and a stay-at-home kit. Your go-kit should include three days of supplies that you can carry with you. Include backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.) Your stay-at-home kit should have two weeks of food and water, and, if possible, a one-month supply of medications and medical supplies.

Customize your kit to meet your household's specific needs, for instance if you have children or pets. Keep personal, financial and medical records safe and easy to access (hard copies or securely backed up). Consider keeping a list of your medications and dosages on a small card to carry with you.

Find information on hurricane safety and more here.

Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP)Through the generosity of our American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder members, the American Red Cross is prepared before disaster strikes. ADGP and Disaster Responder members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that enables the Red Cross to respond immediately, meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by disaster, regardless of cost. Read more here.

ADGP $1M Members: Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; Chobani; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; CMA CGM Foundation; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Elevance Health Foundation; Enterprise Mobility Foundation; FedEx; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; McDonald's Corporation; Merck; Microsoft; Nationwide Foundation; The Pfizer Foundation; The Starbucks Foundation; State Farm; Takeda; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; Wells Fargo

ADGP $500K Members: ALDI; Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Bread Financial; Capital One; Chick-fil-A; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; DHL Supply Chain; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Philanthropy; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Google.org; HCA Healthcare; The Home Depot Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mastercard; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Paul Davis Restoration; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; PetSmart Charities; Salesforce; Southeastern Grocers Gives Foundation & Southeastern Grocers, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie;Stryker; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; U.S. Bank Foundation; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; The Wawa Foundation; Wesco; Zoetis Foundation

Disaster Responder Members: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe Foundation; The AES Corporation; American Tire Distributors; American Water Charitable Foundation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Bath & Body Works; Big 5 Sporting Goods; Build-A-Bear Foundation; Canadian National Railway Company; CarMax; CDW; Charles Schwab Foundation; Cisco; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Foundation; The Deluxe Foundation; The DICK'S Foundation; Discover; Dollar General; Dollar Tree and Family Dollar; Duke Energy; Erie Insurance; Equitable; FirstEnergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; International Paper; Invitation Homes; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; L'Oréal; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo Foundation; LKQ; Macy's, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Marathon Petroleum Corporation; Martin Marietta; Masco; Mattress Firm; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Neiman Marcus Group; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Norfolk Southern; Northrop Grumman Foundation; Northwestern Mutual; Novartis US Foundation; Old Dominion Freight Line; Pacific Life Foundation; Phillips 66; Prudential; Raymond James; RBC Foundation USA; Reckitt; Reliance, Inc.; Reynolds American Inc.; RTX; Ryder System, Inc.; Santander; Security Finance's Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Stanley Black & Decker; Tata Consultancy Services; U-Haul International; Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation; U.S. Foods; Yum! Brands; Zurich

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