06Sep

Disaster Response: Hurricane Irma

Monday, September 11, 2017 – The Red Cross has a massive relief effort underway across multiple states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing safe shelter to people in the path of Irma’s fury. The Red Cross is part of a large team of agencies and organizations responding to provide help to those in need.

Overnight. Sunday 9/10, an estimated 208,000 people sought refuge from Hurricane Irma in as many as 680government and Red Cross evacuation centers across 6 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This includes–

o   In Florida, an estimated 200,100 people in 587 evacuation centers.
o   In Georgia, more than 6,500 people in over 40 evacuation centers.
o   In Alabama, about 40 people in 16 evacuation centers.
o   In South Carolina, about 660 people in 23 evacuation centers.
o   On the U.S. Virgin Islands, almost 380 people in 6 evacuation centers. 
o   In Puerto Rico, 154 people in 6 evacuation centers.
o   In Tennessee, 131 people in 4 evacuation centers.
o   In North Carolina, 33 people in 4 evacuation centers

As Red Cross volunteers continue to support the operations in Texas, in response to Hurricane Harvey, more volunteers have answered the call to help Florida and the southeastern states as Hurricane Irma made landfall and continues to move up into Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. More than 1,800 Red Cross workers are responding to Irma now with more than 400 on the way. As of this morning we have more than 125 people deployed from the Colorado & Wyoming region.

From Southeastern Colorado
Paula Gregory – Government Relations
Sally Martin – Shelter Worker
Bill Fortune – Public Affairs

From Northern Colorado
Julia Stamper – Shelter Worker
Diane Littlefield – Shelter Worker
Denise Kinde – Shelter Worker

From Western Colorado
Sallyanne Johnson – Disaster Mental Health
Kelly Paulsen – Shelter Worker
Della Wilson – Disaster Mental Health
Amy Mueller – Shelter Worker
Josh Stewart – Public Affairs

From Mile High Area 
Catherine Leventhal- Digital Volunteer
Veronica Quinn – Shelter Worker
Geoff Goodman – Government Relations
Helen Robinson – Technology Support
Thomas Jones – Shelter Worker
Nicole Kersey – Shelter Worker
David Schneider – Shelter Worker
Harry Ladewig – Shelter Worker
Dan Mosely – Disaster Mental Health
K. Nigel Holderby – Public Affairs
Melanie Roth-Lawson – Shelter Worker

From Wyoming 
Monte Haas – Shelter Worker
Cindi Shank – Shelter Supervisor
Mel Warren – Government Relations

————————————————————————————————————————-

Wednesday, September 6, 2017 – Hurricane Irma continues to move toward Florida with landfall on Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The Red Cross has already mobilized equipment, supplies and disaster responders at a staging area in Orlando, FL.

Noon MDT 090617 from NOAA/National Hurricane Center

While nearly 70 disaster responders from Colorado and Wyoming have been deployed to the Texas Gulf Coast for Hurricane Harvey Relief, we have also deployed ten of our disaster responders to the Orlando staging area ahead of Hurricane Irma landfall. The Red Cross is mobilizing hundreds of trained Red Cross disaster relief workers and deploying truckloads of relief supplies to support this response effort. Shelter supplies for 120,000 people are on the way to help people impacted with Irma, along with 100,000 shelf-stable meals and almost 80 emergency response vehicles.

In addition to those listed below the following volunteers are heading to Florida:
From Southeastern Colorado
Keith Mercantel – Shelter Supervisor
Gregory Adkins – Shelter Worker
Cathleen Smith – Shelter Worker
John Hartling – Shelter Worker

From Northern Colorado
Sierra Horner – Shelter Worker
Christy Lard – Shelter Worker
Donald Nelson –  Shelter Worker

The Red Cross depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. Help people affected by Hurricane Irma by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS or texting the word IRMA to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster. The Red Cross honors donor intent. Donors can designate their donation to Hurricane Irma relief efforts by choosing that option when donating on redcross.org or on 1-800-RED CROSS. The best way to ensure your donation will go to a specific disaster is to write the specific disaster name in the memo line of a check. We also recommend completing and mailing the donation form on redcross.org with your check

If you have people in Florida that you are concerned about you can advise them to download the Red Cross mobile app, Emergency. Using the app can help you stay in contact with those people in Florida. You can also get near realtime information concerning the Hurricane by using the free Emergency app. The Emergency App is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

To get updates on Hurricane Irma and the Red Cross response visit www.redcross.org.
———————————————————————————————————-

Tuesday, September 5, 2017 – Even while our disaster response is in full swing in Texas with over 3,000 responders on the ground in the disaster zone, our teams are gearing up to support relief efforts, should they be needed with Hurricane Irma.

Hurricane Irma forecast track from Sep 5, 2017
Courtesy NOAA/NHC

Hurricane Irma went up to a category 5 hurricane Sunday night and most recent forecasts have the
storm moving across the Florida Keys this weekend. Our disaster responders are already being put on standby so that they are ready to move quickly if the forecast track proves true.

Four disaster responders from Colorado are packing bags for deployment. They will travel to Orlando that is serving as a staging area for Red Cross deployments:

Southeastern Colorado
Douglas Van Allen – Sheltering Supervisor
Delbert Hayden – Shelter worker

Northern Colorado
David West – Shelter worker

Western Colorado
Jenny Roberts – Shelter worker