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Remembering Hurricane Katrina

When hundreds of thousands of people needed help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and two other major hurricanes that followed in the 2005 hurricane season, many individuals, foundations and corporations stepped forward to help. This incredible generosity - as well as the relief efforts of the Red Cross - is detailed in "Bringing Help, Bringing Hope,"an American Red Cross report covering the response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and the ensuing years of recovery for the survivors.

"Five years ago, the American public responded to Katrina with unprecedented generosity,"said Russ Paulsen, executive director of the Hurricane Recovery Program at the Red Cross. "Looking back, I think they can be proud of what their contributions accomplished."

Donors gave the organization a total of $2.2 billion for people affected by the storms, which helped the Red Cross provide:

Shelter for survivors across 31 states and the District of Columbia
Hot meals and snacks
Financial assistance for 1.4 million families to purchase groceries, clothing, diapers and other basic needs; and money for people to return home, make home repairs and get back to work
Physical and mental health services to help them cope with stress and ease the trauma
Tools to help survivors chart a path to recovery
Disaster preparedness training so people know the steps to take to protect themselves and their families

"The hurricanes of 2005 tested us all,"said Paulsen. "Although we're on better footing than we were five years ago, every individual and community has to be on board in order for our country to be more disaster-ready. There is much more that we as a nation can do. Everyone—government, businesses, non-profits and the faith community—needs to work together to have better prepared communities."

Hurricane season runs June 1- November 30. Be prepared! Make a plan, build a kit and stay informed. If you would like to be trained to be a volunteer disaster responder with the Red Cross, we offer free classes each month.

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The American Red Cross is not a government agency. We are a non-profit, volunteer led organization. We can't respond without help from communities and citizens all cross our nation. Please consider giving a financial gift or a gift of your time or

life-saving blood. Thank you for your support!

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