Red Cross aids thousands after early 2026 disasters, as forecasters warn of elevated spring risks nationwide

Organization urges Disaster Relief donations on Red Cross Giving Day, March 25

News Summary:

• As forecasters warn of elevated spring storm, flood and wildfire risks nationwide, the American Red Cross urges people to donate on the organization's Giving Day, March 25, to help ensure families don't face disasters alone.
• So far this year, thousands of families nationwide have relied on Red Cross volunteers after disasters of all kinds. In January alone, following severe winter storms across nearly a dozen states, volunteers provided 30% more meals and snacks than during the same period last year — when the Red Cross responded to record wildfires in Los Angeles.
• People can visit redcross.org/GivingDay to donate to Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters big and small, whenever and wherever they occur across the country.

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As forecasters warn of elevated spring storm, flood and wildfire risks nationwide, the American Red Cross urges people to donate on the organization's Giving Day, March 25, to help ensure families don't face disasters alone.

"Spring ushers in some of the year's most volatile weather — and when disasters strike, they can upend lives in an instant," said Edgar Olivo, regional executive for the Red Cross. "Whether families are facing a major storm, home fire or other crisis, they're counting on the Red Cross to be there with relief and hope. That's why Red Cross Giving Day calls on all of us to come together now and ensure support is there when help can't wait."

Visit redcross.org/GivingDay to donate to Disaster Relief on Red Cross Giving Day, March 25. This year's Giving Day aims to rally 30,000 individuals to help people affected by disasters big and small, whenever and wherever they occur across the country.

2026 To Date: Thousands Rely on Red Cross after Disasters
So far this year, thousands of families nationwide have relied on Red Cross volunteers after disasters of all kinds. This has included:

• January: Severe winter storms across nearly a dozen states forced thousands of people to rely on Red Cross volunteers for shelter, food and relief supplies. Demand was so great that volunteers provided more meals and snacks than they did in January 2025, when the Red Cross responded to record wildfires in Los Angeles. All told, the Red Cross provided more than 264,000 meals and snacks in January — a 30% increase from the same period last year.
• February: The Red Cross supported more than 50 emergency shelters and warming centers in communities across the country for families displaced by winter storms stretching from California to New York, as well as extensive flooding on the West Coast and wildfires across the Plains.
• March: More than 500 Red Cross disaster workers have been responding around the clock this month to deliver immediate relief to people affected by flash floods in Hawaii, tornadoes in the central U.S., severe storms in the East and wildfires in Nebraska — in addition to daily home fires nationwide. In fact, home fires account for most of the more than 60,000 disasters that the Red Cross responds to every year.

How Donations Help People Affected by Disasters
The Red Cross mission depends on generous donations, which support nearly 100% of Red Cross disaster relief efforts. Each donation fuels the work of volunteers — who make up 90% of the Red Cross workforce — to provide aid like emergency shelter, food, relief supplies, basic health services, emotional support and financial assistance.

"No gift is too small," Olivo said. "Every donation helps a family facing one of the hardest moments of their lives."

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Red Cross Giving Day?
A: This year's Red Cross Giving Day is on March 25 during Red Cross Month in March. It's an opportunity for people to come together on one day to help families across the country recover from a home fire or other disaster. Donations can be made at redcross.org/GivingDay. 

Q: I'm not able to give financially. Can I still help?
A: Yes, there are many ways to help people through the Red Cross. Individuals can visit redcross.org to give blood or sign up to volunteer.

This year's severe weather so far has forced thousands of blood donations to go uncollected. It's the generosity of blood donors in unimpacted areas that the Red Cross is able to help meet the everyday needs of patients.

The Red Cross offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities to match people's needs, including helping families after local disasters through our Disaster Action Teams, welcoming blood donors to donation sites as a blood donor ambassador, and delivering lifesaving blood products to local hospitals as a blood transportation specialist.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

SOURCE American Red Cross