The SE Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross is located in Chattanooga and has been directly involved in helping out those along the coast by sending volunteers from the area. The following is a complete report on how this natural disaster affected the lives of thousands of individuals.
In the wake of Hurricane Dorian’s slow, destructive journey from the Bahamas up the Southeast U.S. coast, American Red Cross volunteers and employees are working with government and community partners in hard-hit areas to focus on emergency relief, including safe drinking water, shelter and connecting separated families
Along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, residents who fled Dorian’s gales are slowly returning to what’s left of their coastal communities. More than 220 homes were destroyed or sustained major damage as a result of Dorian, and volunteers are still delivering food and water to residents on Ocracoke Island.
Because the American Red Cross had pre-positioned emergency response vehicles and relief items along the Southeast coast, disaster workers were able to quickly respond to the storm’s changing path. It is due to this preparedness that so many along the coast were able to evacuate, and communities are now getting the assistance they need to start on the road to recovery.
In the Bahamas, evacuations from the Grand Bahamas and Abaco are underway as residents find spaces on helicopters, planes and boats to escape their devastated homes. Many are heading to the capital city, Nassau, to stay in government-run shelters or are finding safe haven with loved ones in the U.S. As of Tuesday, nine government-run shelters in New Providence were housing more than 2,000 people.
The American Red Cross is partnering with the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Bahamas Red Cross to support those affected on the islands. Damaged airports, roads and telecommunication networks have hampered aid, but the IFRC and the Bahamas Red Cross response efforts are growing. The changing nature of this disaster means that aid is being delivered to storm survivors in places not majorly affected by the storm, such as Nassau.
The American Red Cross has committed an initial $2 million to support those affected by Dorian in the Bahamas, and we have deployed disaster response specialists to provide support to the relief
operation.
In West Palm Beach, Florida, the American Red Cross has been working alongside community and government partners to provide shelter for Bahamian evacuees who arrived over the weekend. As of today, all evacuees have been helped to find longer-term shelter either with loved ones, or through referrals to the generous support available through existing community resources.
It is strongly encouraged that the citizens of the Chattanooga area and the adjacent 10 counties that are part of the South Eastern Chapter do what they can to support local efforts so that the community can be of service to all those that may need help in the future. The Chattanooga chapter is recognizing some of our local citizens who have helped their fellow residents in the annual Heroes Luncheon on Nov. 6 at 11:30 a.m. at the Chattanoogan Hotel. For information call 593-7589 or for tickets and additional information visit Redcross.org/realheroes.
To specifically help those in the effected areas of Hurricane Dorian, make a donation. To donate by check, write “Hurricane Dorian” in the memo line, and mail it to your local Red Cross chapter American Red Cross – Southeast Tennessee 4115 South Access Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406; or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839. To restrict giving to the Bahamas, write “Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas” in the memo line.