Red Cross Responds to Hurricane Earl Along the Atlantic Coast

Public can donate to support Red Cross relief efforts with a click, call, or text message.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is responding with help to people affected by the winds, rains and flooding of Hurricane Earl in North Carolina and is ready as the storm moves up the Atlantic Coast.

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A dozen Red Cross shelters were opened in North Carolina, giving more than 260 a safe place to ride out the storm last night as heavy rain and strong winds passed through the area. Today, after Earl moves out of the area, the Red Cross will be assessing damage left by the storm and helping people as they begin to cleanup. More than 183 Red Cross disaster workers have been deployed to North Carolina to support efforts there, along with 37 emergency response vehicles and two trailers of additional disaster relief supplies.

"Earl's strong winds and heavy rain have been pounding the Outer Banks, and flooding, damage and dangerous waves are expected to stretch from the Carolinas to Maine as this storm moves up the Atlantic Coast," said Joe Becker, senior vice president, Red Cross Disaster Services. "The Red Cross has shelters and relief supplies to help people hit by the storm, with shelter, staff and emergency response vehicles in position in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Residents of eastern New England must remain vigilant as the storm approaches and take steps to ensure they are prepared."

Hurricane or tropical storm warnings and watches are in effect from North Carolina to Maine. Forecasters say the storm could push further out into the Atlantic before slamming into New England, with much of the attention on Rhode Island and Massachusetts, especially Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island.  

In Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Red Cross is ready to open shelters, and 200 trained disaster workers have deployed to the area to assist those who may be affected by the storm. The Red Cross has 24 emergency response vehicles in the two states, with two trailers of disaster relief supplies that arrived in the area yesterday. Up-to-date shelter location information is readily available on www.redcross.org by clicking "Find a Shelter."

The Red Cross is working with various state, county and local government officials along the Atlantic coast to determine what their areas will need. Emergency planning is underway in North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  

People who are evacuating can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website, accessible at www.redcross.org, so that friends and relatives can find out how they are. For those who don't have internet access, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to register yourself and your family. Follow the prompts for disaster information.  

In addition, Earl continues to cause powerful rip currents that are likely to be seen along the Atlantic Coast throughout the Labor Day weekend. The Red Cross advises anyone visiting the shore areas to swim only on lifeguard protected beaches and within designated swimming areas.

To make a financial donation to the Red Cross to help people affected by this storm and other disasters here in the United States and around the world, people can click, call or text - visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.  The storm may also impact blood collections in the affected areas. To find out how you can be a blood donor, visit www.redcrossblood.org

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross