Back WASHINGTON, December 10, 2002 — The American Red Cross has provided disaster relief for more than 550,000 families - roughly the population of Denver, Colorado - in a year that called for more than 250 large-scale disaster responses by the organization across the country. Announcing its Top 5 large-scale disaster responses for 2002, the Red Cross noted that while these larger disasters made headlines, the majority of Red Cross disaster relief consisted of responses by local Red Cross chapters to over 60,000 single-family fires. In fact, 93 percent of all Red Cross disaster responses are for home fires, and these responses take their toll on local chapter funding resources. "This year has been an active year for disasters, and December already has the Red Cross responding to deadly winter storms from Oklahoma to the Carolinas and Super Typhoon Pongsona that just struck Guam," said Marsha J. Evans, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "The large disasters make headlines, but what you don't hear about are the more than 60,000 disasters our 987 chapters across the country responded to this year - mostly single-family fires." Evans continued, "There is no such thing as a small disaster. A house fire is just as devastating for the family that experiences it as a tornado or a hurricane, and the local Red Cross chapters are there with comfort and care every eight minutes throughout this country. When you reach out to help victims of high visibility disasters, remember that your local Red Cross is there for disaster victims in your community every day. Your local Red Cross needs your support." On the national scale, from January 1-November 30, the Red Cross responded to 258 large-scale disasters in 44 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories and a U.S. Air Force base in Korea from January 1-November 30. These large-scale disasters cost the Red Cross over $67.6 million and included one hurricane, one typhoon, four tropical storms, 41 floods, 29 tornadoes, an earthquake, 11 wildfires, six ice or hail storms, four transportation accidents and 149 large apartment fires. The Top 5 Red Cross disaster responses that follow were determined based on costs of providing relief, number of families assisted, severity of storm damage to residences and other factors: Hurricane Lili/Tropical Storm Isidore October 2002 (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama). Cost: $15.8 million. Families assisted: 75,256. Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili slammed into the Gulf coastline with a powerful, one-two punch within one week of each other, causing widespread flooding and wind damage to tens of thousands of homes. Red Cross workers and supplies were positioned in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Arkansas weeks in advance of the impending storms, ready to respond. The Red Cross sheltered 20,820 people in 154 shelters in five states and served 1.3 million meals to people evacuated or displaced due to high winds and surging waters. Red Cross mental health workers provided crisis counseling to nearly 10,000 people suffering from stress related to the disasters. Texas Floods and Tornadoes March-October 2002. Cost: $13.5 Million. Families assisted: 25,448. Of the 12 large-scale disaster relief operations in Texas this year, five required massive Red Cross resources. Over eight months, the central and southern parts of the state were repeatedly pounded with tornadoes and severe flooding. March brought floods and a tornado to central Texas, and another tornado ravaged the southwest part of the state in April. In July, catastrophic floods in the Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio affected tens of thousands. Tropical Storm Fay hit the Texas coast in September, and south-central Texas was once again rocked by floods and tornadoes in October. Altogether, the Red Cross assisted 25,000-plus families with disaster-caused needs, served 464,000 meals, provided emotional support to more than 11,000 individuals and sheltered 1,700 displaced residents. Western Wildfires April-July 2002 (Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon). Cost: $8.1 Million. Families assisted: 8,010. Colorado recorded the largest fires in the last century as monster blazes swept through the Hayman and Durango regions and even threatened the outskirts of Denver. To the south, more than 650,000 acres across the state of Arizona were consumed as fires in the Mogollon Rim area came together and forced the evacuation of almost 30,000 residents. Drought and low humidity in Oregon and California were also factors in a massive wildfire in the Siskiyou National Forest. By the time the fires were extinguished, 855 homes destroyed or damaged by blazes that some firefighters called the most challenging fires they had ever confronted. From the beginning, the Red Cross was providing disaster assistance and relief to thousands of residents forced to flee the flames. The Red Cross would open 50 shelters, serve over 720,000 meals and snacks, provide emotional support for more than 20,000 individuals and provide emergency health services to nearly 700 people affected by these disasters. Veterans Day Tornadoes November 2002 (Alabama, Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia). Cost: $3.7 Million. Families assisted: 3,939. More than 35 people were killed when a band of storms spawning over 50 tornadoes rampaged across seven states on Veterans Day. Thousands of homes were literally shattered; more than 1,900 of the nearly 4,000 damaged homes were destroyed or suffered major damage. The Red Cross immediately mobilized hundreds of relief personnel to assist residents affected by the deadly twisters in Tennessee, Ohio, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Fifty-three Emergency Response Vehicles were deployed to the affected areas where workers served almost 250,000 meals and snacks to families and emergency workers. Red Cross Disaster Mental Health counselors provided crisis counseling for nearly 5,000 individuals, and caseworkers provided financial and other disaster-related assistance at 48 service centers. Typhoon Chata'an July 2002 (Guam). Cost: $5.4 Million. Families assisted: 3,998. In July, Typhoon Chata'an hit the northern part of Guam with wind gusts reaching 145 mph. The typhoon downed power lines, knocked out landline communications and left the entire island without power. The Marianas Islands also felt the devastating effects of Chata'an. The Red Cross responded immediately, serving almost 40,000 meals and snacks to residents of 14 villages across the island and providing financial and other disaster assistance to more than 3,000 families. A disaster field service center -- stocked with lumber, clean-up kits and toiletries -- was quickly opened to provide residents with necessary items lost or destroyed by the typhoon. Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Services workers fanned out into the community to provide crisis counseling to almost 5,000 people affected by the storm. Texas topped the list of natural disaster responses by the Red Cross with 12, and California and Mississippi were second with six each. California led in multi-family apartment fire responses with 18, followed by Texas with 10 and New Jersey with nine. Six states have had no large-scale disaster responses this year: Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Nevada and Rhode Island. A state breakdown and other 2002 disaster statistics are available at www.redcross.org. Please help your local American Red Cross by donating today. For more information on the American Red Cross or to find your local chapter visit www.redcross.org. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. 2002 Disaster Responses The following statistics pertain to nationally-accounted disaster responses by the American Red Cross from January 1-November 30, 2002. National disaster responses: 255 Families assisted: 550,279 Cost of providing relief: $67,611,471 Funds donated specifically for above disasters: Additional funds needed from Disaster Relief Fund to cover cost: Top 5 American Red Cross Disaster Responses 2002 Hurricane Lili/Tropical Storm Isidore - October 2002 (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama) Cost: $15.8 Million Families assisted: 75,256 Texas Floods and Tornadoes - March-October 2002 Cost: $13.5 Million Families assisted: 25,448 Western Wildfires - April-July 2002 (Arizona, Colorado, California, Oregon) Cost: $8.1 Million Families assisted: 8,010 Veterans Day Tornadoes - November 2002 (Alabama, Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia) Cost: $3.7 Million Families assisted: 3,939 Typhoon Chata'an - July 2002 (Guam) Cost: $5.4 Million Families assisted: 3,998

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