Tag Archives: Hurricanes

Northern Ohio Red Crossers deliver relief where hurricane survivors need it

Posted on by
Reply

Husband and wife team-up to respond to storms far from home

By EILENE E. GUY, American Red Cross volunteer

Jeff and Laura Mann were on what you would call a “mission of mercy” when I reached them by phone, headed for the hospital in flood-ravaged Asheville, N.C., to pick up specialized medical equipment for a baby in an American Red Cross shelter in Burnsville, another hour away.

Jeff Mann, inside the Red Cross disaster vehicle, hands supplies to wife Laura in Burnsville, North Carolina

The couple are what the Red Cross calls a “fulfillment team.” Jeff says they’re “a store on wheels.”

They deliver consumables like toilet tissue, paper towels and baby formula as well as essentials like pillows, blankets, and special need items to shelters in northwestern North Carolina, where the number of storm refugees continued to grow.

When we talked, a week after Hurricane Helene swept from the Gulf to the East Coast, the Manns were still seeing helicopters – some ferrying evacuees to shelters and others airlifting food and water to isolated communities.

Jeff, a retired YMCA executive director, is a veteran disaster responder. “This is my 15th, 16th (response) – I don’t know,” he told me with a chuckle. He’s served in evacuation shelters, warehouses, supply units. “I’m quite a rover… wherever I’m needed.”

Jeff Mann was interviewed by news reporters at the Akron Canton Airport before his deployment to Guam in response to Typhoon Mawar 2023

Laura, on the other hand, is on her first deployment. She’s been on the board of the Heartland, Stark, Muskingum Lakes chapter of the Red Cross for years and taken lots of disaster response training. But this is the first time her work as a CPA has allowed her to take off for two weeks.

She’s excited to be helping bring relief to a region devastated by hurricane winds and unprecedented flooding. It’s a plus that she’s working with her husband.

“Laura and I are bonding,” Jeff offered. “It’s our 39th anniversary this week,” Laura explained. “This is a good marriage test.” They both laughed comfortably.

The couple, who call Louisville, Ohio, in Stark County home, are finding conditions in mountainous North Carolina challenging. Many roads, even if passable, are one lane where downed trees have been hacked back just enough so Jeff can squeeze his box truck through. Cell phone service and GPS are spotty.

“We were headed for the hospital in Asheville the first time and GPS died at the edge of town,” Laura recalled. “There were no streetlights and we didn’t have a clue. We just had to figure it out.”

Laura Mann at a Red Cross warehouse

A typical day has them at a Red Cross warehouse in Greenville, S.C., at 7 in the morning to load up, with a list of special orders to be picked up at local big-box stores. Then they head north to Asheville and on to shelters as far as Boone, another two hours away.

“We go up one side of the (Blue Ridge) mountains and back down the other,” Laura said. They were still in the truck, on the way back to Greenville, when we chatted at 9 o’clock in the evening last week.   

The Manns are among the more than 2,000 trained Red Cross disaster responders providing shelter, food, emotional support, replacement medical devices and prescriptions, and other urgent needs to storm victims across five states. At the same time, some 200 Red Cross reunification staff have fielded thousands of requests for help locating loved ones.

Red Crossers and our partners have given out nearly 480,000 meals and snacks in shelters and from mobile feeding trucks. With partner organizations, they’ve provided more than 35,000 overnight stays.

None of this disaster response, which will go on for months as the Red Cross helps individuals and families plan the next steps in their recovery, would be possible without the generosity of the American people. Please consider making a financial donation by going to redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

If you’d like to get trained and become part of the hands-on relief effort, as Jeff and Laura Mann are doing, visit NEOvolunteer@redcross.org or call 216-431-3328 to learn about all the different roles that might interest you.

Red Cross continues to support those affected by Harvey, Irma and Maria

Posted on by
Reply

By Samantha Pudelski, American Red Cross Volunteer

September 20, 2019- Two years ago, three hurricanes hit the U.S. in less than a month, affecting thousands of people who lived in the paths of these storms. The American Red Cross quickly responded to these disasters, providing much-needed aid and support. Two years later, the Red Cross continues to support the areas hardest hit by these storms.

Cudjoe Key

Hurricane Harvey

Two years ago, three hurricanes hit the U.S. in less than a month, affecting thousands of people who lived in the paths of these storms. The American Red Cross quickly responded to these disasters, providing much-needed aid and support. Two years later, the Red Cross continues to support the areas hardest hit by these storms.

Hurricane Maria 2017

Since then, the American Red Cross has provided aid to those affected by the storm. Locally, the Northeast Ohio Region of the Red Cross assisted by deploying 49 trained disaster workers from Northeast Ohio, the vast majority volunteers, who responded to the relief operation. Overall:

  • More than 46,000 damaged or destroyed households have been provided with recovery financial assistance.
  • More than 414,800 overnight shelter stays were provided in collaboration with partners.
  • More than 4.5 million meals and snacks were served together with partners.
  • More than 127,000 health and mental health contacts have been made.
  • The Red Cross awarded more than $59 million to support community-based recovery services by local nonprofits to provide services to the communities who were hardest hit.

Hurricane Irma

Just two weeks after Harvey, Hurricane Irma’s powerful winds and floodwaters hit the Caribbean, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and then took a destructive path across Florida. Irma was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since 2005.

IMG_0244

Again, the Red Cross was there to provide aid to those who were impacted by the storm.  There were 29 deployments of staff and volunteers from among the Northeast Ohio disaster workforce who assisted with the relief effort.

  • More than 555,300 overnight shelter stays were provided in collaboration with partners.
  • More than 1.6 million meals and snacks were served together with partners.
  • More than 1.8 million relief items were distributed.
  • More than 62,500 health and mental health contacts have been made.
  • More than 9,200 damaged or destroyed households were provided with financial assistance totaling over $37 million.
  • The Red Cross continues to work with local organizations to provide continued support for long-term recovery efforts, awarding more than $15 million in grants.

Hurricane Maria

Maria was the third hurricane to hit the U.S. within a month and was the most intense hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico in more than 80 years. Another 17 workers from Northeast Ohio were deployed.

 

The Red Cross has been working with numerous partners on recovery efforts focusing on consistent power, clean water, community health and community resiliency.

  • More than 12.8 million meals and snacks were served together with partners.
  • More than 77,000 water purification filters were distributed.
  • More than 5.2 million relief items were distributed.
  • More than 40,800 health and mental health contacts have been made.
  • More than 2,700 generators were provided for people with medical equipment needs.

Interested in volunteering to help in the recovery efforts for disasters?

Grassy Key III

There are many volunteer opportunities available in Disaster Response. Read our recent article on the requirements for becoming a disaster response volunteer.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, American Red Cross Volunteer