Corporate Partners Essential as American Red Cross Faces Busy 2013 Hurricane Season

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As forecasters are predicting an "active or extremely active" 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, the American Red Cross is relying on its partnerships with more than 70 leading corporations to help ensure preparations are in place for quick and efficient responses should storms threaten the U.S. this year.

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The Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and the Disaster Responder (DR) program both enable the Red Cross to respond immediately and compassionately in times of disaster. Funding from members, which include many of the country's most successful companies, provides for disaster relief such as sheltering the displaced, purchasing and distributing relief supplies, storing equipment, and reconnecting individuals separated during disasters.

"When it comes to helping families when they need us most, our Annual Disaster Giving Program and Disaster Responder corporate partners understand that supplies and systems have to be in place before disasters threaten," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "We are very thankful for their vital support, which provides essential resources so the Red Cross can immediately take action when hurricanes and other disasters strike." 

In its 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center forecasts an "active or extremely active" hurricane season with a 70 percent likelihood that 13 to 20 named storms (the average is 12)—which have winds that sustain at 39 mph or higher—will occur, of which 7 to 11 could become hurricanes (winds higher than 74 mph). Of those, three to six may become major hurricanes— Category 3 to 5, with winds above 110 mph.

But even as officials are warning of an active season ahead, a new survey by the American Red Cross and The Weather Channel shows that less than a year after Superstorm Sandy, few people along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts have taken necessary action to prepare for hurricanes. The survey also found that nearly six in 10 Americans (58 percent) say they are very or somewhat concerned that they will be in harm's way because of a hurricane.

Just as the Red Cross is readying its supplies for the upcoming storm season, it is urging residents to gather their kits, prepare their plans and make sure they're informed of threatening weather.

Generous gifts from ADGP and DR members – made in advance of a specific hurricane or disaster – support disaster preparedness and offset a range of expenses, including warehousing supplies, shelter and feeding costs, deploying the fleet of disaster response vehicles and reconnecting individuals separated during disasters.

The 2013 members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program are: 3M; Altria Group; Aon; AT&T; Bank of America; BNY Mellon; Caterpillar Inc.; CHS Foundation; Cisco Foundation; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Community Safety Foundation, funded by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange; ConAgra Foods Foundation; Costco Wholesale Corporation; Darden Restaurants Foundation; Dell Inc.; Discover; Disney; Dr Pepper Snapple Group; Edison International; FedEx Corporation; GE Foundation; H-E-B; Hewlett-Packard Company Foundation; The Home Depot Foundation; Humble Bundle; jcpenney; John Deere Foundation; Johnson Controls; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Kraft; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; Medtronic; Meijer; Merck & Co., Inc.; Mondelez International; National Grid; Nationwide Insurance Foundation, Northrop Grumman Corporation; Optum; PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation; Southwest Airlines; Sprint; State Farm; State Street; Target; Texas Instruments; The TJX Companies, Inc.; UnitedHealthcare; University of Phoenix; UPS; US Airways; Walmart; WellPoint Foundation and Wells Fargo.

The 2013 members of the Red Cross Disaster Responder Program are: American Express; AstraZeneca; AXA Foundation; Delta Air Lines; Farmers Insurance; Ford Motor Company; General Motors Foundation; H&R Block; Ingersoll Rand Foundation; Morgan Stanley; New Balance Foundation; Northwestern Mutual Foundation; Procter & Gamble; PuroClean; Residence Inn by Marriott; Ryder Charitable Foundation; Starbucks Coffee Company and Starbucks Foundation; Sunoco; Tyson Foods, Inc.; U.S. Bank and the Western Union Foundation. .

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 visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross