Talking Points – Spring Severe Weather Outbreak – May 17, 2011

More than 2,800 Red Cross workers are on the ground in the South, where they are helping people along the Mississippi River and in areas where tornadoes wiped out entire communities.
• The Red Cross is standing ready for a prolonged feeding and shelter response, with shelters ready to open along the river as needed.
• Thousands of relief supplies have been moved into the area, including cots, blankets, comfort kits, and items for people with special needs.
• The Red Cross is working closely with government and community partners in states along the river to ensure workers, equipment, shelters, food and relief materials are in place as people evacuate from their homes.
• The need for emotional support in these states can’t be underestimated. These areas have been hit by multiple disasters over the last year and Red Cross spiritual care teams are also canvassing neighborhoods, helping people cope.

Red Cross workers are continuing to help the thousands of people affected by the recent tornadoes.
• The Red Cross is operating shelters and traveling throughout devastated communities, making sure people have food to eat, distributing clean-up items, and helping people cope with the aftermath.

The Red Cross estimates that it will spend as much as $31 million responding to the wildfires, tornadoes and floods which occurred earlier this spring, and has received $27.6 million in pledges and contributions for those operations. Now another large-scale relief operation is underway to help people along the Mississippi River.

Please consider making a donation today to help the thousands of people who have been affected by these disasters.
• Visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
• Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
• Any donation, large or small, will help. For example, $3 can provide a comfort kit for someone in a disaster. $6 can cover the cost of a blanket, $10 the cost of a hot meal. For $150, someone’s donation can cover the cost of providing food and shelter to a family of four for a day they spend in a shelter.

The Red Cross has launched relief operations in more than 20 states since March 31 responding to wildfires, floods and tornadoes from North Dakota to the East Coast and all throughout the South.
Since the end of March, the Red Cross has:
• Served more than 1.7 million meals and snacks with the help of community partners.
• Opened more than 190 shelters and provided more than 16,000 overnight stays.
• Handed out thousands of relief items like hygiene kits, mops, brooms, tarps, shovels, work gloves and coolers.
• Provided more than 37,000 health and mental health consultations.
• Deployed more 8,300 Red Cross workers and 700 emergency response and other disaster vehicles to areas affected by floods, wildfires, and tornadoes.