The American Red Cross is caring for Hurricane Beryl survivors in east Texas, where widespread power outages have lasted over a week during dangerous heat.
Beryl tore across Houston — the country’s fifth largest metro area — last week, damaging homes and knocking out electricity. As of Tuesday, 140,000 homes and businesses were still in the dark. Many of these families have no way to stay cool from the heat, refrigerate their food or power their medical devices. Damage assessment is underway, and we have identified at least 230 homes that have been destroyed or sustained major damage across Texas as well as other states impacted by Beryl, including Louisiana, Vermont and New York. We will use this information to launch an Immediate Financial Assistance program that will help residents with things like deposits on new places to live, replacement clothing and other essentials.
To help people displaced from their homes by heat and destruction, we have provided thousands of overnight stays and reached many people at daytime cooling centers. At both sites, we serve nourishing meals, assist with replacing lost prescription medications or help with other health issues, and offer caring shoulders to lean on. In addition, reliable electricity allows people to charge their phones, medical devices and other electronics.
Outside of shelters, volunteers are driving emergency response vehicles into hard-hit communities, prioritizing those with the greatest vulnerability, such as areas where there are many elderly residents, children or people with urgent medical needs. Our vehicles are loaded with cool water, meals and snacks, hygiene kits, and supplies to help with the arduous cleanup process. Through mobile distribution and at our shelters, the Red Cross and our partners have served thousands of meals and snacks.
David Flowers, of Northwest Houston, was grateful to see the Red Cross in his community. “Thank y’all for being out here and helping us out,” David said. “This is the third time we’ve lost power this year. The food and water help us get through another day.”
We anticipate the need for our care to continue in the weeks to come. As people return home and cope with destruction, we will be there for them, thanks to the support of donors like you.
Help people affected by Hurricane Beryl in the United States. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.
