CT, RI Regions of American Red Cross Continue Relief Efforts Following Hurricane Matthew

From American Red Cross:

The Connecticut and Rhode Island Region of the American Red Cross continues to support the relief effort following Hurricane Matthew. To date, the region has deployed more than 35 volunteers to assist in the relief effort.The following volunteers have deployed from Connecticut:

To help people affected by Hurricane Matthew, the Red Cross has launched a widespread sheltering effort spanning four states and providing as many overnight stays in shelters as after Superstorm Sandy. Nearly 4,500 people in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida woke up Wednesday morning in 77 Red Cross and community shelters. Since Hurricane Matthew first threatened the U.S., Red Cross and community partners have served more than 356,000 meals and snacks, and provided 79,000 overnight stays.

The Red Cross has mobilized 3,000 disaster workers, 170 emergency response vehicles—nearly half of our fleet—and more than 100 trailers filled with water, ready-to-eat meals, cots, blankets, kitchen items, cleaning supplies, insect repellant, gloves, masks, shovels, rakes, coolers and more. More volunteers, vehicles and supplies are being mobilized now to supplement relief efforts.

The Red Cross is also working in close collaboration with government officials and community partners to coordinate response efforts to ensure people receive the help they need as quickly as possible.

The Red Cross is struggling to collect much-needed blood and platelet donations as floodwaters inundate communities in the Southeast. In Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, Hurricane Matthew has forced the cancellation of more than 95 Red Cross blood drives, resulting in nearly 3,000 blood and platelet donations going uncollected.

The need for platelets is especially critical due to the loss of these donations in affected areas. Platelets are a key clotting component of blood often needed by cancer patients that must be transfused within five days of donation. Platelet donors can roll up a sleeve every seven days, up to 24 times year.

With additional blood drive cancellations likely due to significant flooding and power outages, the Red Cross urgently needs blood and platelet donations and asks individuals to make an appointment to give now.

The Red Cross depends on donations to provide immediate relief. Help people affected by Hurricane Matthew by visiting the American Red Cross website, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word MATTHEW to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. Learn more about the Red Cross response to Hurricane Matthew here.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock