Red Cross Offers Support After Recent Floods

Photo by @qianliu on Twitter

Early in the morning of Thursday, July 13, dozens of Western and Central New York residents woke up to flash flood warnings on their cell phones, TV's and radios. In the Buffalo area, flash flooding was predicted to last from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.. In under two hours, Buffalo got hit with 1.72 inches on rainfall and over 2 inches by the third hour, marking July 13th the wettest July day in almost 46 years. 

As the city of Buffalo and surrounding areas took on the torrential downpour, cars were submerged and homes were flooded. The streets were so submerged that children were swimming and playing games in the water.

Of course, with a weather disaster of this extent, the flooding caused in-home flood-related damage throughout the area. Once the Red Cross assessed that damage, it was decided that we should give clean up kits to those in need. The American Red Cross was prepared with over 100 clean up kits to distribute throughout several locations in the Western New York Area. 

Clean up kits included mops, buckets, bleach, a broom, a sponge and more to assist in clean up after a flood.  The initial date for the distribution of the clean up kits was July 16th, but that was extended throughout the week as the request for clean up kits increased. 

Clean up kits at the Harris Hills Methodist Church, Williamsville, NY

The majority of our clean up kits are kept at the Harris Hills Methodist Church in Williamsville, NY, where they were made available to the public the week after the flood. 

The Red Cross commends all of the rescue teams and the first responders of this disaster for all the lives saved and damaged prevented. As a second responder, the Red Cross is responsible in assisting those affected by disaster in whatever way we can, and we would like to thank our partners and volunteers in assembling and distributing our clean up kits during this disaster. Additionally, we would always like to thank our donors for making what we do possible. In fact, one week later, our volunteers were helping our neighbors in need again, after multiple tornadoes touched down in Western New York, and the Southern Tier dealt with more flooding.

You can help people affected by disasters like flooding and countless other crises by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

~Lily Kaufman, WNY Chapter Communications Intern

A Different Kind of Help in Texas

Greg Langen was signed in to the Texas flood relief operation
by fellow Greater Rochester Chapter volunteer
Diana McLaughlin

Editors note--Volunteer Greg Langen of Pittsford has been in Texas, doing Disaster Assessment as part of the flood relief efforts in the Houston area. He shared this story of his experience on Tuesday:

We were driving down a rural road that had just today become accessible and noticed an elderly woman walking aimlessly in a nearby field. She was plodding around in circles for no apparent reason. We stopped and called out to her to see if she needed any help. It turns out she had Alzheimer's Disease and had wandered away from the car where her son had told her to stay while he checked on his house. Her confusion was exacerbated because the flooded area looked so different that she didn't know where she was. We escorted her out of the field and reunited her with her son when he came back out to the road.

I'm not sure whether we saved a life today, but we surely alleviated some suffering.

This was a very rewarding day.

Sign on the side of the road in Fort Bend County, Texas
Photo by: Greg Langen, American Red Cross

Just some of the devastation from the Texas floods
Photo by: Greg Langen, American Red Cross

"Gimmie Shelter"? Our volunteers can do that!

"Oh, a storm is threatnin'

Photo courtesy buffalobills.com

My very life today.
If I don't get some shelter
Oh, I'm gonna fade away."
-The Rolling Stones

The Ralph will be rocking Saturday, and from the sound of things, it seems like all of Western and Central New York will be at the Stadium to see "the worlds greatest rock and roll band" live. In one of The Rolling Stones best-known songs, Mick Jagger pleads with listeners to "Gimmie Shelter". Well, Mick, that's something our volunteers do for their neighbors in need each and every day.

Just last week, when flash floods washed through parts of Syracuse, our volunteers set up a shelter at the Westcott Community Center in the early morning hours, before later moving to St. Lucy's Church, ensuring evacuated residents had a safe, warm place to stay. In November, when the area around Ralph Wilson Stadium was covered in as much as eight feet of snow, Red Cross volunteers operated or supported 19 different shelters, providing over 600 overnight stays for travelers stranded by Thruway and other road closures.

This is probably not what Mick Jagger had in mind, but
our volunteers operated or supported 19 shelters during
"Snowvember 2014"

It's not always a storm that forces someone to need shelter. An average of three times a day across the Western and Central New York Region, a family is forced from their home after a fire. Our volunteers are there then too, offering a place to stay, food, clothing and support, as they did for eight people who lost everything after an Elmira fire Thursday.

So whether it's because "a storm was threatnin'" or "a fire was sweepin'", the Red Cross volunteers are always ready to "Gimmie Shelter", even while thousands of us will be listening to the Stones sing one of my all-time favorite songs live.

Do you want to help answer Mick's call? Learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer on our website.

"Your volunteers are amazing!"

Julie Perl at the Red Cross shelter at Westcott Community
Center in Syracuse Wednesday afternoon

Julie Perl thought her Tuesday was winding down as she left class at Bryant and Stratton College and headed home around 10pm, but unfortunately, her evening's journey was just beginning.

"I was headed down James Street, saw the fire trucks, and started freaking out," Perl said at the Red Cross shelter at the Westcott Community Center in Syracuse Wednesday. Heavy rains had caused flash flooding in many areas of the city. At Perl's apartment complex, the power had been cut as the waters filled the basement and reached the electrical wiring, and the fire department told Julie and her family they had to leave.

"I've been here since 2:30 this morning," Perl said of the shelter. "The volunteers have been amazing. On the news, you see they're everywhere, but I've never had to deal with a situation where the Red Cross stepped in. They brought out snacks for the kids at 2:30 a.m., gave us water, blankets, breakfast this morning."

Perl and a couple of her fellow shelter residents actually helped set up the cots that 18 people slept on Tuesday night. She feels that's the least they could for the volunteers that were helping them. Volunteers like Rich Plumpton, who had just returned from two weeks working with the Red Cross relief efforts in Oklahoma three days earlier.

Julie Perl and her grandson enjoying lunch at the Wescott
Community Center shelter

"You couldn't ask for a better bunch of people," Perl said. "They actually felt bad that they didn't have any toys for my grandkids. But they gave them Mickey Mouse, and that made the kids so happy. They actually slept with the Mickeys!"

Later Wednesday afternoon, the shelter moved to St. Lucy's Church on Gifford Street, where 20 people spent Wednesday night. Julie Perl says she doesn't know what she would've done if it wasn't for the Red Cross.

"I have family, but they have things that they do, and don't have the room to put us up," she said. "We probably would've been in a shelter that's not fit for kids."

Volunteers Deploying to help in Flooding, Wildfire Relief Efforts

Two volunteers from the Western and Central New York Region are deploying this week to assist in American Red Cross relief efforts across the country.

Lorraine Morris of Bath, NY is deploying to Alaska Friday, where she will serve in Disaster Services Technology/Computer Operations in the response to recent wildfires. 

Herbert Wolfe of Rochester traveled to Louisiana Thursday to serve as Disaster Assessment Manager in the flood relief efforts. Wolfe will take teams into some of the hardest hit areas to assess the need and make sure relief is provided where it is needed most.

Lockport, NY's Diane Sargent in Oklahoma in May 2015

Across the country, relentless rain and raging wildfires have forced people from their homes, and the Red Cross is there providing support and comfort. Just this week alone, the Red Cross has helped people in 14 states affected by floods and wildfires.  Almost 250 people impacted by the flooding and fires spend Wednesday night in Red Cross shelters in Texas, Alaska, California, Arizona, Indiana and Idaho. Over the past few weeks, more than 2,790 trained Red Cross workers have served more than 590,000 meals and snacks, distributed 150,000 relief items and opened more than 85 shelters, providing 3,400 shelter stays.

HOW TO HELP A donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief can help provide food, water and shelter for someone who has to leave their home. Help people affected by disasters like floods, wildfires and other emergencies by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

DOWNLOAD THE EMERGENCY APP The Red Cross “Emergency” app can help keep you and your loved ones safe by putting vital information in your hand for more than 35 different severe weather and emergency alerts, including flooding and wildfires. You can find it in smartphone app stores by searching for American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

Seven Regional Volunteers Spending Holiday Serving in Storm Response Efforts

American Red Cross volunteers Lucille Frisicano of Webster and Diane Sargent of Lockport are deploying to Oklahoma Monday to assist in the Red Cross relief efforts following recent tornadoes and severe weather. Frisicano will serve as a Health Services Supervisor, while Sargent will be a Disaster Assessment Supervisor

Frisicano and Sargent become the sixth annd seventh volunteers from the Western and Central New York Region deployed to help in the Red Cross response to severe storms across the country:

NAME, HOMETOWN                   LOCATION               ACTIVITY

Lee Campfield, Apalachin                 Texas                          Feeding Supervisor

Tom Daley, Tonawanda                    Texas                          Client Casework

Lucille Frisicano, Webster                Oklahoma                   Health Services Supervisor

Greg Langen, Pittsford                      Texas                          Disaster Assessment

Donald Nelson, Endwell                   Texas                          Sheltering Supervisor

Sarah Perkins, Pittsford                    Texas                          Disaster Assessment
Diane Sargent, Lockport                   Oklahoma                  Disaster Assessment                  

The American Red Cross continues to help people affected by the ongoing severe weather, providing shelter, food and support as those impacted by the storms figure out what to do next.

 

Red Cross shelters are still open in Oklahoma and Texas. Red Cross workers have been providing shelter and food, cleaning supplies, health and mental health services, helping with damage assessment and meeting with families to help plan their next steps. Emergency response vehicles are traveling through the affected areas, bringing people food and relief supplies and Resource Centers are also open where people can come to be helped by multiple organizations. In the days and weeks ahead, the Red Cross will also provide health services and emotional support as residents begin to recover from the storms.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Nearly every second of every day, the Red Cross delivers help and hope. And we couldn’t be there without the generous support of the American public. On June 2, join the American Red Cross for our inaugural Giving Day, a 24-hour fundraising campaign to support those in need in communities across the country. Together, let’s go “all in” and make one day count. Schedule your donation today for Giving Day at redcross.org/givingday. You can also help build awareness by using the hashtag #allin1day on Twitter and Facebook.

What a difference a year makes!

When the phone rings at 2am, it's usually not a good sign. That's how May 14, 2014 started for me, being awakened by a phone call that we were opening a shelter in Penn Yan in response to flooding there and in Yates County.

Of course, the Red Cross volunteers were already in action. While most normal human beings were sound asleep, before 5am they had a shelter at the Penn Yan Academy for those forced from their homes, a shelter that would remain open for six days, providing 34 overnight shelter stays.

Having been with the Red Cross for a few years, I had an idea of what was happening. But when I arrived in Penn Yan that afternoon, I was stunned by the amount of devastation in the downtown area. Streets had literally been washed away.

Driving through surrounding areas of Yates County with volunteers over the next several days, delivering water and clean up kits, it quickly became apparent that more than just downtown Penn Yan had been affected by this disaster. 

Looking back one year later, two things really stick out in my mind. I grew up close enough to Penn Yan that I spent nights at my parent's house during our response. It surprised me how much harder it was to deal with a disaster that hit so close to home. 

What didn't surprise me, however, was the work of our volunteers. As my colleague Veronica said at the time of her first disaster response, "The American Red Cross was EVERYWHERE. Volunteers from Niagara Falls to Rochester to Schuyler County to Elmira and everywhere in between mobilized in Penn Yan. They volunteered for 12 hour to sometimes 24 hour shifts at the shelter at Penn Yan Academy. Still others volunteered in the Penn Yan and surrounding communities delivering clean up kits and offering advice on what was next for those who suffered losses in the flood."

Those immediate emergency response efforts continued for three weeks, with volunteers serving over 600 meals and snacks, distributing 38 clean-kits, providing emotional support to countless people devastated by the storm and provided dozens of referrals to help the community get back their feet. 

It may be hard to believe looking at today's bright blue skies, but one year later, the people of Penn Yan and Yates County are still recovering from last spring's floods. And the Red Cross is still there, supporting the community each and every day. None of this would be possible with the incredible work of our volunteers and your generous support 365 days a year. I'm proud to be a part of this great organization, but I'm especially proud to have been there with our amazing volunteers one year ago. 

Today and always, we're #PYStrong.

Accentuate the Positive

You may have seen and heard some negative stories surrounding the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy's landfall. The American Red Cross has responded to the reporting done by ProPublica and NPR (some of those responses can be found here, here and here), but it is still very difficult for those of us who were there not to take these stories personally. As my friend and volunteer Pete Swales, who spent 39 days working on the Sandy response, told me, "What ProPublica and NPR claim hurts terribly, and brings back all the ruination we witnessed and the amazing gratitude of the New Yorkers, even those that were not affected!"

What was left Michael O'Hanlon's Breezy Point home
after Superstorm Sandy

The last part of that sentence is what I want to focus on, the incredible work that I personally witnessed during my two weeks in NYC in November 2012. I think back to Miss Cynthia in the Rockaways, who was so grateful for the efforts of the nearly 17,000 volunteers who worked on the Sandy response that she told my colleague Katie and I, "You shouldn't be called the Red Cross. You should all be called angels." Or being interrupted while speaking to a union meeting by Michael O'Hanlon, who said, "The Red Cross is awesome!" He later showed my colleague Julie and I the pictures of what remained of his Breezy Point home, explaining that we had provided the only hot meals his family had eaten since swimming out of their home three weeks earlier. I am so proud to have been just one of the hundreds of Western and Central New Yorkers who have their own stories of traveling to help our downstate neighbors in need, and each of those incredible volunteers should remember the millions of people who were so grateful they were there to help them.

You may have also heard that the Red Cross is currently undergoing a transition in order to meet the growing demand for our services. While this will allow us to help even more people because we are operating more efficiently, changes such as these are never easy. But thanks to our amazing volunteers and supporters, the great work of the Red Cross continues in our communities each and every day. Last Tuesday, for example, two hours after arriving on the scene of an early-morning apartment fire in Niagara Falls, our volunteers had opened a shelter for the dozens of displaced families, without ever having stepped foot in the Niagara Falls office.

An Emergency Response Vehicle distributes supplies and
information to areas around Penn Yan hard-hit by flooding
in May

We know this new structure can work because it has already. In September 2013, the Yates County Chapter in Penn Yan was closed. Less than a year later, that area was affected by massive flooding. "We weren't happy when the office closed," Yates County Deputy EMO Diane Cabes told me. "But you were there when you needed to be, providing very beneficial services that were very appreciated." Those services included opening a shelter at the Penn Yan Academy in the initial hours after the storm's impact, then providing a total of 34 overnight shelter stays, serving serving over 600 meals and snacks, distributing 238 clean-up kits and providing emotional support and referrals to help the community get back on its feet in the weeks that followed.

"Disasters don't always happen where offices and staff are," said volunteer Donna Davis, who was among the first to respond in Penn Yan while water was still running through the streets. "Staff and volunteers know what to do. Regardless of where a disaster happens, if there's a need, the volunteers will be there."

That's the message that I hope everyone remembers moving forward. The Red Cross has the most incredible volunteers and supporters, and thanks to them, each of our communities will be able to count on us to provide these vital services tomorrow and for years to come.

Flooding from Penn Yan and Beyond - The American Red Cross Responds - Everywhere

I grew up in a small town similar to Penn Yan. It is the type of place that some people may have never heard of and few may have visited until now.  I myself knew where it was but had never been there until after the flooding.

Driving down to Penn Yan, it was hard to tell that there was a flood. It wasn’t until you got right into the center of the village you saw what everyone was talking about. Cars were at an angle mixed in with uprooted pavement in a parking lot. A building collapsed and mud was all over the place. It really did look like something out of a movie. At one point water was gushing down a residential street and crews were trying to get sandbags out fast enough to protect homes with the water well above their knees.

  

 

 The day before I actually got to Penn Yan, people said creeks and streams flowed rapidly over and onto roads and parking lots pushing large rocks like they were tiny pebbles. I saw the creek they were talking about when I got there. It looked like white water rapids and not a little narrow body of water that usually is so peaceful. I saw the aftermath of mud all over the street, parking lot and tennis courts.

 It is through a situation like this that you see humanity in action. Webster’s Dictionary defines humanity as “the quality or state of being kind to other people or to animals” It is one of the principles of the American Red Cross. The Red Cross is there whenever disaster strikes to, as the organization’s mission states, “alleviate human suffering”. Volunteers deploy to these areas in need of help bring a glimmer of hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.

That brings me to probably the most awe inspiring FACT about this disaster. The American Red Cross was EVERYWHERE. Volunteers from Niagara Falls to Rochester to Schuyler County to Elmira and everywhere in between mobilized in Penn Yan. They volunteered for 12 hour to sometimes 24 hour shifts at the shelter at Penn Yan Academy. Still others volunteered in the Penn Yan and surrounding communities delivering clean up kits and offering advice on what was next for those who suffered losses in the flood.

 

 While volunteers were in Yates County dealing with flooding other volunteers were dispatched to Monroe County in Fairport to provide relief for those impacted after flooding along the Erie Canal.  Still other volunteers in Wayne County helped a family who had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning in their home while their colleagues were still assisting with flooding.

So next time you ask yourself about the American Red Cross and what they do, think of this week in May of 2014. Volunteers (whom make up more than 90 percent of the Red Cross) and staff were spread throughout the Region providing assistance to those in need because that is what the Red Cross does.  The Red Cross is always there and will always be there when the dust, mud, wind, snow and rain settle.  How can they be everywhere? Through the generosity of donors like you they can be. With your generosity, the Red Cross is able to be the light at the end of the tunnel.  Isn’t it comforting to know that if you ever have to deal with a disaster, there are people just waiting there to help you – The American Red Cross.

-Veronica R. Chiesi Brown

Eight Regional Volunteers Deployed to Assist in Response to Major Storms

Diane Sargent of Lockport and Pete Swales of Springville
fill out paperwork prior to deploying to Pensacola, FL to
do Disaster Assessment in flooded regions

The American Red Cross response to this week’s devastating floods and tornadoes stretches across 13 states where Red Cross workers are providing shelter, food, health and mental health services to people impacted by the storm.

As people begin the monumental task this weekend of starting to clean up their neighborhoods, the Red Cross will be handing out relief supplies like brooms, buckets, gloves, shovels, rakes and tarps throughout many affected communities.

Disaster Mental Health volunteers Marianna Elliott of Hamburg and Sue Olexenko of Amherst will be deploying to Arkansas on Saturday to provide emotional support for affected residents there. A total of eight volunteers from across the 17-county Western New York/Finger Lakes Region have been deployed to assist in the Red Cross response these to these devastating storms. A full list is below.

NAME	HOMETOWN	DEPLOYMENT LOCATION	DATE	ACTIVITY
Robert Barton	Savannah	Mississippi	05/01	Mass Care/Feeding
Marianna Elliott	Hamburg	Arkansas	05/03	Disaster Mental Health
Sue Olexenko	Amherst	Arkansas	05/03	Disaster Mental Health
Dr. Alani Santos	Brighton	Arkansas	05/01	Disaster Health Services
Diane Sargent	Lockport	Florida	05/02	Disaster Assessment
Ferris Todd	Canandaigua	Arkansas	05/02	Disaster Mental Health
Pete Swales	Springville	Florida	05/02	Disaster Assessment
Tom Wallace	Elmira	Mississippi	05/02	Disaster Mental Health

Red Cross workers are helping people in Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and North Carolina. Hundreds of people are staying in Red Cross and community shelters in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi and North Carolina. Red Cross workers also are providing meals, health and mental health services.

  

In total, more than 1,200 trained Red Cross workers and 60 emergency vehicles are helping in the hardest hit communities. As of Friday, volunteers have already served more than 70,000 meals and snacks, and handed out 11,000 essential relief items to people in need.

The Red Cross will be on the ground for weeks supporting those affected. As people begin to recover from the storm, Red Cross workers will join with local community partners to provide additional services. For example, in some areas the Red Cross will help to open community resource centers bringing all of the organizations and agencies together in one convenient location to help those affected. Red Cross caseworkers will also meet one-on-one with people to create recovery plans, navigate paperwork and locate help from other agencies.

HOW TO HELP Those who would like to help people affected by disasters like tornadoes, floods and other crises can make a donation to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. People can donate by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. These donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. 

Additional WNY/Finger Lakes Volunteers Deploying to Colorado

Tara Hughes providing Mental Health services following Navy Yard tragedy

Tara Hughes of Amherst, NY sharing Red Cross coping tips
following the Boston Marathon bombing in April. Tara is
now part of the Disaster Mental Health team responding to
the Navy Yard shooting.

The American Red Cross joins the nation and the Washington, D.C. community in expressing our sympathy and concern for those affected by the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. Tara Hughes of Amherst, NY deployed on Tuesday to assist in the Disaster Mental Health response. Hughes recently led the Disaster Mental Health efforts following the Boston Marathon bombing and Sandy Hook school shooting.

In Colorado, the American Red Cross is supporting rescue operations by providing food, shelter, relief supplies and comfort to thousands of people forced from their homes by devastating flash flooding.

Two additional volunteers from the Western New York and Finger Lakes Regions will be deploying to support the Red Cross relief efforts. Sarah Perkins of Pittsford is deploying on Wednesday to do Disaster Assessment, and Dominic DiGirolamo of Belmont will be providing Disaster Mental Health support when he deploys on Thursday. Six volunteers from the 17 county Region will be among the over 400 trained disaster workers staffing shelters and evacuation centers in Colorado. A full list of area deployments is below.

The Red Cross continues to work closely with local emergency management officials in Colorado to ensure people get the help they need. As many as 500 people stayed in 14 shelters across Colorado on Monday night. Working with community partners, the Red Cross has served more than 10,000 meals and snacks and provided more than 1,700 health and mental health services for those affected. In the days to come, the Red Cross will be supporting Disaster Assistance Centers by offering relief supplies and other recovery support, and as flooded areas begin to reopen, the Red Cross will be there to assess the damage, distribute cleanup supplies and support a recovery effort that will take weeks and months.

HOW TO HELP People across the flooded areas need help now. The Red Cross has launched a massive relief effort to help people in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas and needs the continued support of the public to help those affected. People can make a donation to support Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

WNY/FINGER LAKES RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS DEPLOYED

(FOR COLORADO FLOODING RELIEF UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)

NAME, HOMETOWN	JOB	DEPARTURE DATE
Dominic DiGirolamo, Belmont	Disaster Mental Health	9/19
Lucille Frisciano, Webster	Health Services	9/17
Tara Hughes, Amherst	Disaster Mental Health (Navy Yard)	9/17
Sarah Perkins, Pittsford	Disaster Assessment	9/18
Bippin Shaw, Rochester	Health Services	9/17
Beth Shook, Cuba	Staff Services	9/17
Ferris Tood, Canandaigua	Disaster Mental Health	9/17