Disaster Relief

Need Help Now?

If you are in immediate need of help, please contact your local Red Cross » or find an open shelter »

We respond to an emergency every 8 minutes.

No one else does this: not the government, not other charities. From small house fires to multi-state natural disasters, the American Red Cross goes wherever we’re needed, so people can have clean water, safe shelter and hot meals when they need them most.

We respond to an average of about 65,000 disasters every year
95% of our disaster relief workers are volunteers
The vast majority of disasters we respond to are home fires

We're there when people need us most

Our purpose is to meet the immediate disaster-caused needs of individuals, families, and communities. Explore how we respond to disasters big and small, across the country.

Home Fire Relief

Hurricane Relief

Wildfire Relief

Flood Relief

Earthquake Relief

Tornado Relief

Learn more about some of our historic disaster responses:

Here To Help

Each disaster is different, but we adapt our resources to the needs of the people we serve.

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Overnight Shelter Stays

The Red Cross opens shelters to make sure people have a safe place to stay, a hot meal and access to other support from trained volunteers. Every night a person stays in a shelter counts as one overnight stay; for example, a family of four staying in a shelter for three nights would total 12 overnight stays.

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Meals and Snacks

After a disaster, the Red Cross works with community partners to provide hot meals, snacks and water served as shelters or from Red Cross emergency response vehicles in affected neighborhoods.

Man Carrying Red Cross Disaster Relief Supplies

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Distribution of Emergency Supplies

Emergency supplies help people in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and in the days and weeks that follow. Our comfort kits contain basic personal supplies needed in the aftermath of a disaster, such as a toothbrush, deodorant and shampoo. Other emergency supplies could include tarps, rakes, shovels, and trash bags to help people clean up their homes and return to normalcy.

Red Cross Health Volunteer Helping Older Man

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Health Services

Red Cross health volunteers travel to disaster sites to help people cope. Health workers can provide first aid treatment for injuries, monitor the well-being of people staying in Red Cross shelters, and replace prescription medications or eyeglasses.

Red Cross Mental Health Volunteer Helping Young Men

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Mental Health Services

Red Cross mental health volunteers travel to disaster sites to help people cope. Mental health workers specialize in providing emotional support and helping people to cope after a disaster.

Red Cross Volunteer Handing Supplies to Man

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Workers

Trained Red Cross volunteers and employees are ready to deploy within hours of a disaster to help. Ninety-five percent of our disaster workers are volunteers from across the country.

American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle Parked in Snow

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Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs)

Mobile Response Vehicles, also known as ERVs, circulate throughout affected communities after disasters to hand out food, relief supplies, information, and comfort to those in need.

Our work doesn't end after disaster strikes.

After the emergency phase of a response has been completed, we turn to helping people recover and addressing lingering community needs. Working together with community leaders, government and relief agencies, we organize and execute recovery strategies that include:

Providing emergency financial assistance in the immediate aftermath of a disaster
Distributing financial assistance for households that need extra help in the long-term
Providing grants for community-based recovery services

Our Statement on Impartiality

The American Red Cross, as a member of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, adheres to the network’s fundamental principles. Specifically, the principal of impartiality states: “It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavors to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress.”

During a crisis, people need help to stay safe, no matter their nationality, cultural background or citizenship status. When an emergency strikes, the Red Cross will deliver help to whomever needs it. As part of its humanitarian mission, the American Red Cross will feed, shelter, provide emotional support and other assistance without regard to race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or citizenship status. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and individuals who have disaster-caused needs do not need to be American citizens to access our services.

Red Cross workers will not question individuals about their citizenship status, nor will they request birth certificates, immigration papers, passports, social security cards or similar documents that could be interpreted as being used to identify the nationality or immigration status of people seeking assistance. The Red Cross will only request documents to verify an individual’s identity and where they lived before a disaster when providing financial assistance.

If federal, state or local authorities make a request to enter a shelter for the purpose of looking for undocumented shelter residents, the Red Cross will not grant them permission unless provided with a subpoena or court order. The Red Cross may disclose information about shelter residents at the request of law enforcement, if the disclosure is necessary to avert a threat, or protect the health or safety of shelter occupants, another person or the community.

Just as disasters don’t discriminate in terms of whose lives they destroy; the Red Cross doesn’t discriminate in whose lives we help rebuild. The Red Cross is a safe and secure place for everyone in need after a disaster.

Our Other Services

Support Disaster Relief Efforts

The Red Cross honors donor intent and all donations earmarked for Disaster Relief will be used to help people affected by disasters, big and small. Americans work hard for their money, and we’re committed to being the very best stewards of our donors’ dollar. The Red Cross keeps our expenses low and an average of 90 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in delivering care and comfort to those in need.

Donate Now to Disaster Relief

Help people affected by disasters big and small.