Help people affected by Hurricane Debby.
The American Red Cross has launched massive operations across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina to meet the immediate needs of people impacted by Hurricane Debby and the related devastating flooding that could render more than 15,000 homes uninhabitable.
After inundating Florida’s Big Bend region with torrential rainfall Monday, Debby is slowly making its way up the East Coast, dumping massive amounts of water on communities in its path. The National Weather Service predicts it will cause “catastrophic” flooding in parts of the Southeast, which we expect will create a major need for Red Cross services. The Charleston, South Carolina, metro area — home to over 830,000 people — is forecast to see at least 20 inches of rain, while the Savannah, Georgia, metro area — home to some 418,000 — could see over a foot.
On Tuesday, over 128,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, leaving people without way to cool their homes in the summer heat, refrigerate their food or charge their phones and medical devices. We expect them to come to Red Cross shelters for safe refuge and help with these needs.
We are providing food and shelter to Debby evacuees and prepared to do so on a tremendous scale. With partners, we:
- Are running 15 shelters in Florida and have supplies to open more than 35 shelters for 7,700 people in Georgia and South Carolina.
- Have stationed some 19,000 shelf stable meals in Georgia and will send 35,000 to South Carolina.
When conditions allow, we will drive Emergency Response Vehicles into hard-hit communities to distribute food, water and relief supplies like cleanup items.
“Disasters do not have to mean chaos. Fortunately, the Red Cross has over 300 responders on the ground and almost 150 en route, ensuring everyone in the path of these storms has access to safe refuge, food and other critical self-care needs,” said Colleen Tone, director of our Debby response in Florida.
We expect Debby to cause heartbreaking damage, displacing families and destroying homes. Thanks to donors like you, we can care for survivors today and in the weeks to come.
