The Largest Disaster Response in American Red Cross History

National Katrina Response

It is safe to say that 2005 will long be remembered for the catastrophic destruction and human suffering that Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma produced.

This hurricane season has turned out to be the biggest disaster the American Red Cross has ever faced.  Hurricane Katrina devastated an area twice as large as Pennsylvania and prompted the largest mobilization of resources for a single natural disaster in the 125-year history of the American Red Cross.  

Thanks to people like you who contributed so generously to our relief efforts, the Red Cross response has been extraordinary.  It is simply unimaginable what the consequences would be if you had not stepped forward at this critical moment in our nation’s history.

Nationally, the American Red Cross has already served more than 34 million hot meals, provided nearly 3.5 million overnight stays, and delivered $1.56 billion in immediate financial assistance to 1.4 million families.  This is truly an unprecedented response, breaking all records of Red Cross service delivery -- including on a local level.

Local Katrina Response

This remarkable response could not have been accomplished without our national network of local chapters. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter’s team of specialized volunteers played a leadership role in these unprecedented times – both locally and on the Gulf Coast. 

Right here from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, 298 of our volunteers were deployed to the Gulf Coast, 1,115 new volunteers were trained and certified, and 28,516 hurricane victims found help and a friendly voice at our chapter’s emergency national call center, staffed by 309 local volunteers. And 885 evacuee families received care, comfort and a fresh start here in Philadelphia.

During a time of unthinkable devastation, our local donors, volunteers and staff helped lead the way to restore hope to families in their hour of greatest need. 

Local Disaster Response

As our work on the ground continues in response to this year’s hurricanes, we also must turn our attention to the disasters that continue to plague our local community every day.

Right here in Southeastern Pennsylvania, our volunteers and staff have responded to more than 400 fires, floods, and other crises since Hurricane Katrina made landfall.  Each year in the five-county area, our Chapter responds to at least 800 disasters, bringing help and hope to more than 4,000 of our neighbors annually. 

Beyond disaster response, we also trained 109,151 local residents in first aid, CPR, lifesaving, HIV/AIDS prevention and community disaster education.  We reached a new record 80 percent occupancy at Red Cross House in our third year of operation.  And we expanded the Red Cross Clubs program by 50 percent, so now there are 15 Red Cross Clubs training tomorrow’s leaders in our local schools.