Updated Wednesday, October 31

Hurricane Michael caused extreme devastation along the Gulf Coast. The American Red Cross is helping now, and will be there in the weeks to come as people begin to recover and rebuild.

FAST FACTS (as of Monday, October 29)

  • On October 10, Hurricane Michael made a Category 4 landfall as the third-strongest hurricane in U.S. history. It was also the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. in 50 years.
  • To date, the Red Cross and other organizations have provide more than 39,000 overnight stays in emergency shelters across Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
  • Working with partners, the Red Cross has served more than 1.3 million meals and snacks.
  • Volunteer mental health and health services professionals have provided some 25,000 contacts to provide support and care to evacuees.
  • The Red Cross has distributed more than 242,000 relief items like clean up kits, rakes, shovels, bleach, garbage bags and much more to help nearly 10,000 families with the massive clean-up effort.
  • More than 1,400 Red Cross disaster workers—nearly 90 percent volunteers—are on the ground to support relief efforts across three states.

29 volunteers from the Eastern New York Region have been deployed to respond to Hurricane Michael to date, many of whom also spent time in the Carolinas supporting relief efforts after Hurricane Florence.

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS DEPLOYED FOR HURRICANE MICHAEL

  • Kevin Boston of Utica – deployed to FL for Sheltering
  • Vince Calcara of Sherrill – deployed to GA for Disaster Mental Health
  • Shayne Charlton of Watertown – deployed to FL for Sheltering
  • Karl Costin of Plattsburgh – deployed to FL for Staff Planning & Support
  • Christine Dambra of Stormville – deployed to GA for Sheltering
  • Patricia DuBois of Altamont – deployed to FL for Disaster Assessment
  • Robert DuBois of Altamont – deployed to FL for Disaster Assessment
  • Taylor Fanelli of Utica – deployed to FL for Local Community Volunteer Support
  • Diann Fischer of Herkimer – deployed to FL for Operations Management
  • Melissa Fleck of Albany – deployed to FL for In Kind Donations Management
  • Roy Guilder of Watertown – deployed to FL for Sheltering
  • Mackenzie Heilman of Watervliet – deployed to VA for Operations Management
  • Patrick Horan of Poughkeepsie – deployed to FL for Transportation Management
  • Valerie Juby of Lowville – deployed to FL for Disaster Assessment
  • Sue Koza of Masonville – deployed to FL for Sheltering
  • Don Lamanna of Oneonta – deployed to FL for Sheltering
  • Kathleen Leahey of Rensselaer – deployed to GA for Disaster Health Services
  • Kate Mahoney of Albany – deployed to FL for Feeding
  • Keith Matteson of Saugerties – deployed to FL for Feeding
  • Harry Oettinger of Saratoga Springs – deployed to FL for Sheltering
  • Peter Poccia of Saugerties – deployed to FL for Disaster Health Services
  • Jose Santiago of Kerhonkson – deployed to GA for Sheltering
  • Randy Saumier of Massena – deployed to FL for Disaster Assessment
  • Jim Savitt of Albany – deployed to FL for Information & Planning
  • Tommy Smith of Schenectady – deployed to FL for Feeding
  • Keith Tilley of High Falls – deployed to FL for Staff Planning & Support
  • Mike Tripodi of Loudonville – deployed to VA for Disability Integration
  • Jane Wenham of Camden – deployed to GA for Disaster Health Services
  • Karen Wood of Staatsburg – deployed to AL for Sheltering

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This is the second massive hurricane response in the United States in less than a month. Thousands of people are looking to the Red Cross for help, and we depend on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. Help people affected by Hurricane Michael by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or texting the word MICHAEL to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters. The Red Cross honors donor intent. Donors can designate their donation to Hurricane Michael relief efforts by choosing that option when donating on redcross.org or on 1-800-RED CROSS.

CRITICAL NEED FOR BLOOD DONATIONS

To meet patient needs, the Red Cross asks eligible individuals unaffected by Hurricane Michael to give blood. The storm has forced the cancellation of dozens of blood drives, causing hundreds of units of blood to go uncollected in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. More blood drive cancellations are likely, and low donor turnout is understandably expected in the Southeast as communities face storm damage and residual flooding.

Before the storm, the Red Cross already had a critical need for blood and platelet donations following Hurricane Florence. Appointments can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.