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American Red Cross Reaches Out to States
Affected by Weekend Tornadoes
Recent tornado activity leaves widespread destruction.
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Printable News Release
Montgomery, April 26, 2010 – The American Red Cross
is providing shelter, food, and comfort to people across the
South as they deal with the aftermath of the deadly
tornadoes that swept through the area over the weekend.The severe weather hit several states, including Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana,
Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina. Mississippi was hardest hit with numerous
tornadoes touching down Saturday. Damage is widespread and thousands are without
power. The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi issued a State of Emergency
for the affected areas. In Alabama three counties were affected, Marshall,
Dekalb and Walker with 60 homes destroyed, 122 with major damage and 311 with
minor damage.
Throughout the affected states, the Red Cross has numerous shelters open and is
providing food and comfort items for those left homeless by the powerful storms.
Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles are providing meals across the area. Red
Cross Disaster Action Teams are also being deployed to offer casework services
and assistance and visit families as they try to salvage some of their
belongings.In the aftermath of the tornadoes, the Red Cross offers steps people should take
to stay safe. They should return home only when authorities say it is safe to do
so. When they do, they should wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy
shoes. As they return, they should watch out for fallen power lines or broken
gas lines and report them to the utility company immediately.
For more information on how to be prepared for tornadoes, visit
www.redcross.org
Help people affected by disasters like these tornadoes by donating to the
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when donations
exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to
prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables the Red
Cross to prepare for disasters and provide shelter, food, emotional support and
other assistance to victims of all disasters. Contributions to the Disaster
Relief Fund may be sent to the American Red Cross of Central Alabama at 5015
Woods Crossing Dr., Montgomery, AL 36106 or to your local Chapter. Internet
users can make a secure online contribution by visiting
www.montgomeryarc.org, and credit card donations may be made by calling
(334) 260-3980.
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare
for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million
volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost
75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and
helped U.S. service members separated from their families
stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through
the Red Cross, the largest U.S. supplier of blood and blood
products. The American Red Cross is part of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An
average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is
invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red
Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of
time, money, and blood to do its work. |
