AMERICAN RED CROSS LOOKS BACK ON HURRICANE KATRINA
Dayton, Ohio, February 27, 2006 – Nearly six months ago, millions of lives changed forever as Hurricane Katrina plowed through Florida on its way to the Gulf Coast. As the American Red Cross reflects on the efforts of a nation to recover, more work needs to be done to improve preparation and response to catastrophes.
Hurricane Katrina put America’s resources and determination to the test in 2005. Faced with unprecedented challenges, the nation relied on the Red Cross to provide care and comfort to those who had nowhere else to turn. Throughout the hurricanes, the assistance of the American Red Cross touched the lives of millions by:
Providing a warm, dry, safe place for evacuees to stay in nearly 1,200 shelters in 27 states and the District of Columbia.
Feeding tens of thousands of people who did not have food or water, each day.
Helping millions of survivors, located throughout the nation, to purchase essential items until other help was available by providing emergency financial assistance.
Reconnecting tens of thousand of families with their loved ones through the family linking Web site and hotline.
"We are proud of the extraordinary efforts of the more than 225,000 Red Crossers who put their day-to-day lives on hold to selflessly help their neighbors in need," said Joe Becker, senior vice president of Response and Preparedness. "Some of them lost everything in these storms, yet they put the needs of their community before their own."
Locally, the Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross raised more than $2 million and assisted more than 700 evacuees. To date, 115 volunteers from the Dayton Area Chapter assisted in the affected areas. Of that amount, 67 were brand new volunteers. Ten volunteers were deployed a second time.
The Red Cross response to an overwhelming Hurricane Katrina, however, was not perfect. Immediate and long-term requirements for the upcoming hurricane season have been identified:
New and better ways to recruit and train volunteers that represent the communities served by the Red Cross.
Improvements in technology that will allow the Red Cross to meet any challenge, from distribution and communication to record keeping and family tracing.
Helping communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters by redoubling efforts to develop partnerships, from faith-based and non-profit groups to city officials and the business community.
"Time is short between now and the next hurricane season," Becker said. "We are focused on how we can improve, and ask that every community review its plans. The time to get together is now."
|
