The Red Cross is sheltering and feeding people in 10 states who are being forced to leave their homes as major flooding hits the East Coast and fires tear through Texas.

• More than 770 people spent Wednesday night in Red Cross shelters open throughout New York and Pennsylvania where devastating flooding is compounding the problems already caused by Hurricane Irene. Additional disaster workers and supplies are on the way to the area.
• Red Cross relief operations are continuing in Texas where wildfires are still burning. More than 230 people spent Wednesday night in Red Cross shelters to escape the smoke and flames of the fires. Officials report more than 880 homes have already been destroyed.
• Relief operations are also ongoing in North Carolina, New Jersey and throughout New England where Hurricane Irene destroyed thousands of homes at the end of August. Approximately 319 people spent Wednesday night in Red Cross shelters in those areas.
  Red Cross costs for this multi-disaster response are growing by the hour. It is estimated the response to Hurricane Irene alone will cost between $10 million and $15 million. New relief efforts for flooding in Pennsylvania and New York, and the large wildfire response in Texas will add to that estimate. We really need your help now.
• To make a donation visit www.redcross.org , call 1-800-RED CROSS 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.
• The American Red Cross is not a government agency. We rely on donations from the public to provide our services.

As part of our response to Irene, Lee and the Texas wildfires, more than 6,550 Red Cross workers have:
• Served more than 1.8 million meals and snacks.
• Provided approximately 60,000 overnight stays in hundreds of shelters.
• Handed out more than 198,000 relief items like hygiene kits, mops, brooms, tarps, work gloves and coolers.
• Provided almost 25,000 mental health and health services consultations.

If someone needs to find an open shelter, they should follow their local media. They can also visit www.redcross.org or download the free Red Cross shelter app for their iPhone.

• If you are evacuating and heading to a shelter, bring extra clothing, pillows, blankets, prescriptions and emergency medication, personal hygiene items, and important documents.
• Don’t forget special items for children and infants, such as diapers, formulas and toys, along with other items for family members who are elderly or disabled. Make arrangements for your pets.
• People can let friends and family know where they are by registering on Safe and Well at redcross.org. They can also have a family member or friend who has internet access register for them.

The Red Cross is urging immediate blood and platelet donations in areas unaffected by these disasters and asks that people in affected areas consider donating blood once it’s safe to do so.

• These disasters have forced the cancellation of many Red Cross blood drives, resulting in the shortfall of several thousand blood donations.
• Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), meet height and weight requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height), and who are generally in good health may be eligible to donate blood.
• To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-RED CROSS or go to redcrossblood.org.

The Red Cross responds to approximately 70,000 disasters every year, providing shelter food and relief supplies to people affected by these emergencies.

• Donations to American Red Cross Disaster Relief ensure that no matter where a disaster happens, the Red Cross can respond without delay. Unrestricted gifts are preferred because these donations make it possible for the Red Cross to help people before and after any disaster – such as a wildfire, flooding, tornado or hurricane – no matter when or where.
•  The Red Cross spends an average of $450 million annually on disaster relief throughout the United States and around the world. Major disasters that impact entire communities – like Hurricane Irene – add to the total cost of our response.