Bringing Help and Hope to Those in Need
Denver, Wednesday, June 5, 2019– The American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming is sending additional disaster responders and equipment to help people in Arkansas after a week of devastating tornadoes and flooding. Since May 1, 2019 nearly 40 Red Cross disaster responders from the Colorado & Wyoming Region have been deployed to disaster areas.
Robert Springer – a volunteer with the Mile High Area chapter has been sent to St. Louis, MO to support the shelters that have been opened for people displaced by flooding.
Jim Boardman – a volunteer with the Southeastern Colorado Chapter, has been sent to St. Louis, MO to support sheltering.
Janet Koelling – a volunteer with the Mile High Area Chapter has been sent to Fort Smith, AR as a member of the Public Affairs Storytelling Team.
Rick Padden – a volunteer with the Northern Colorado Chapter has been sent to Oklahoma City to support the Public Affairs Storytelling Team.
John Hartling – A volunteer with the Southeaster Colorado Chapter has deployed to St. Louis to support sheltering.
Gary Huckabay – a volunteer with the Southeastern Colorado Chapter has deployed to St. Louis as a member of the Spiritual Care team.
The American Red Cross is providing comfort and support to people across multiple states as severe weather continues to devastate communities.
More than 900 trained Red Cross disaster workers are helping across seven states providing safe shelter, food, relief supplies and other support to people in need. More than 415 people spent Thursday night in 26 Red Cross and community shelters.
In the last 105 days, nearly 3,500 Red Crossers have provided nearly 11,000 shelter overnight stays, more than 97,000 relief items, and more than 290,000 meals and snacks delivered in part by 86 emergency response vehicles.
Several major rivers are above flood stage, including the Mississippi, Missouri and Arkansas rivers. Reports indicate the threat of flooding along the Arkansas River will continue for several days and could impact large communities along the river, forcing people to leave their homes. The Red Cross is monitoring the situation and prepared to respond if necessary.
For response updates visit www.redcross.org. Local response stories are on our blog at COWYRedCrossblog.org
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Denver, Thursday, May 30, 2019 – The American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming is sending disaster responders and equipment to help people in Arkansas after a week of devastating tornadoes and flooding.
Michelle Dally and Steven Harris – volunteers with the Western Colorado Chapterand Julie Demaree from the Northern Colorado Chapter will be going to Fort Smith, AR to support the sheltering effort. Oklahoma and Arkansas have seen devastating damage by tornadoes and continue to see the threat from excessive rainfall and flooding.
Ed Firoved – a volunteer with the Southeastern Colorado Chapter will travel to Tulsa, OK to be part of the Red Cross Client Casework team. He will work one-on-one with people to help them work toward recovery.
The American Red Cross continues to help thousands of people affected by the ongoing tornadoes and flooding plaguing the Midwest as millions of people from Texas to New York face threats of severe weather and heavy rain in their communities.
As many as 485 people spent Tuesday night in 31 Red Cross and community shelters across the affected region. This includes 131 people in 6 shelters in Ohio, 196 in 10 shelters in Oklahoma and 129 in 7 shelters in the Missouri-Arkansas area.
More than 500 trained Red Cross disaster workers are working across eight states, opening shelters and providing food, relief supplies, health services, emotional comfort, helping to assess the damage and working with people to plan their next steps.
For response updates visit www.redcross.org. Local response stories are on our blog at COWYRedCrossblog.org.
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Denver, Tuesday, May 28, 2019 – (updated 5/29/18) The American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming is sending disaster responders and equipment to help people in Missouri and Oklahoma after a week of devastating tornadoes and flooding.
Red Cross Volunteer Renee Steenberger comforts shelter resident, Jose Perez, and his father, Abraham Perez, who narrowly escaped their home as it collapsed when a deadly EF3 tornado hit in El Reno, OK, late Saturday night. Source: American Red Cross Oklahoma Region Facebook
Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) – The ERV normally assigned to the Northern Colorado chapter deployed to Oklahoma today. This is the maiden voyage for this ERV meaning that it is the first time this Next Generation ERV has deployed to a national disaster. The ERV will support the distribution of food and supplies.
John Walsh and Ken Harnett –volunteers with the Northern Colorado chapter will be the two ERV drivers assigned to Oklahoma. See photo.
The ERV normally assigned to the Western Colorado chapter has been deployed to Oklahoma to support feeding and the delivery of emergency supplies.
Roger Enix and Kay Addrisi –volunteers with the Western Colorado chapter will be the two ERV drivers assigned to Oklahoma. (see photo)
Elizabeth Dykhoff – a Red Cross Nurse who volunteers with the Southeastern Colorado chapter has deployed to Tulsa, OK to support disaster health services.
Tony Bender – a volunteer with the Southeastern Colorado chapter has deployed to Missouri as a member of the disaster assessment team.
Star Fennel – a Red Cross Nurse volunteer with the Mile High Area chapter has deployed to Oklahoma City as to support disaster health services.
Sylvia Eldonna – a Red Cross Nurse volunteer with the Mile High Area chapter has deployed to Missouri to support disaster health services.
Laura Graser – A Red Cross Nurse volunteer deployed to Oklahoma City to support disaster health services.
Pat Kondas – a Public Affairs volunteer with the Wyoming Chapter deployed to Oklahoma City to support the Oklahoma Joint Information Center.
Andrea Carlson – the Regional Communications Officer with the Colorado and Wyoming Region deployed to Oklahoma City to support public communications.
Catherine Leventhal – a digital volunteer who lives in Denver deployed as the Digital Team Lead. Catherine and her team work at the national level to provide support for social media.
A typical deployment for a Red Cross disaster responder is 14 to 21 days. During that time, the responders will focus on the specific needs of those affected by the disaster as they move toward recovery.
Disaster Summary
- Twenty-four disaster responders from the Colorado and Wyoming Region have been deployed to national disasters across the country since May 7, 2019.
- More than 50 tornadoes touched down over the weekend.
- Several tornadoes and severe storms moved through the Dayton, Ohio area Monday night, including a possible EF-4 tornado, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses and reports of numerous storm-related injuries, as well as a possible death. Thousands remain without power.
- The Missouri National Guard has been activated to assist in sandbagging to reinforce a stressed levee near Brunswick in Chariton County.
- Residents in parts of Coffeyville, Kansas, were ordered to leave their homes because of the rising Verdigris River.
- In Tulsa, Oklahoma, authorities warned residents to consider leaving for higher ground as the levees there are being stressed by the release of water from the Keystone Dam. The town of Moffett is completely submerged.
- More than 420 people spent Monday night in 21 Red Cross shelters due to flooding and tornadoes in Arkansas, Kansas, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Ohio.
- In Oklahoma alone, more than 160 people spent the night in 9 Red Cross shelters.
- In Ohio, after tornadoes swept through the town of Miami Valley, over 125 people spent the night in 4 Red Cross shelters.
- Red Cross health services, mental health and spiritual care workers are present at shelters to tend to the health and well-being of evacuees.
- 85% of damage assessment has been completed in accessible areas of Oklahoma. However, many areas still remain inaccessible.
Follow the Colorado Red Cross on Twitter for more information: @COWYRedCross.
