History-Making Hurricane Season Ends; Red Cross Work Continues

After five months, a history-making hurricane season ends today. While the season may be ending, the American Red Cross continues to deliver relief and comfort to impacted communities.

Brionna, age 5, sits close with Linette Ransom
at the Mullins Recreation Center.

In the last five months, the Red Cross has served more than 3.4 million meals and snacks with its partners, distributed more than 642,700 relief items and provided more than 182,000 overnight shelter stays to people impacted by various hurricanes.

One of those storms impacted communities here in South Carolina. The Palmetto SC Region of the Red Cross was right there, helping our neighbors before, during and after the impact from Hurricane Florence. Together with its partners, the Palmetto SC Red Cross served more than 210,000 meals and snacks and provided more than 24,000 overnight shelter stays.

Throughout this hurricane season, 360 disaster workers from South Carolina deployed to eight hurricane responses, including Hurricane Florence. Many of them deployed multiple times.

A group of volunteers, assisting with the Red Cross
Hurricane Florence relief efforts, gather for a photo.

“The work from our disaster workers this hurricane season has been inspiring,” said Louise Welch Williams, regional chief executive officer. “Again and again these heroes jumped right into action to help our neighbors, both here in South Carolina and across the country. We are so thankful for them and their unwavering commitment to preventing and alleviating human suffering.”

In addition to responding to hurricanes, local Red Cross disaster workers also responded to wildfires in California and other devastating disasters. Currently, seven people are in California.