NEW YORK, August 3, 2020—As Tropical Storm Isaias makes it way up the East Coast, the American Red Cross in Greater NY continues to mobilize resources and staff to provide emergency assistance to residents impacted by this storm. The Red Cross also urges families to be prepared, safe and informed.
“The Red Cross is working closely with local offices of Emergency Management and other community partners to coordinate our response and address any needs brought on by the storm,” said Susan Rounds, interim CEO, American Red Cross in Greater NY. “We urge our neighbors to take this storm seriously and take the necessary precautions to stay safe.”
At this time, the Red Cross has staff members on standby to open 10 shelters across the region (New York City, Long Island, Rockland and Westchester counties and Greenwich, Conn.). These teams are trained to provide comfort and care to evacuated/displaced residents while taking into account new safety protocols necessitated by COVID-19. As soon as the storm passes, Red Cross Disaster Assessment volunteers will canvas areas prone to flooding, survey damage of the most affected communities, make contact with residents and, if needed, begin coordinating assistance including the distribution of relief supplies.
Residents should monitor the news and follow warnings issued by Emergency Management officials. It is important for families to have supplies on hand at home—i.e. food, water, flashlights, chargers, batteries, medication, cash—in event that they have to shelter in place and a bag ready to go with some of the same supplies if they have to evacuate. The Red Cross has a free Emergency App available for download with preparedness tips, info on shelter locations and weather alerts. The Red Cross Emergency App can be found on the Apple Store and the Google play Store.
The Red Cross is also seeking new volunteers for their Red Cross Hurricane Reserve Corps, a new, trained group of team members ready to support affected communities in the event of a major disaster in our region. This large number of local “reserve” volunteers is needed due to the added constraints brought on by COVID-19, difficulty in bringing volunteers from other parts of the country and the projected intensity of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 to November 30, 2020, with its peak in the Northeast in August and September. To join, visit redcross.org/volunteertoday and scroll down to find the “Shelter” or “Health Services” roles. Training for these new volunteers will be conducted online.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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