American Red Cross - Wood County District Office

Historic 2005 Hurricane Season

American Red Cross Launches Largest Relief Effort in History

Experts predicted one of the busiest tropical storm seasons in U.S. history, and they were right. Dennis and Emily were dwarfed by the deadly Katrina that ravaged the Gulf Coast. Within weeks, Rita blew through the region. Stan followed, hitting Mexico and Central America with less force than these two monsters but bringing rains that triggered flooding and mudslides, taking many lives. With the formation of Wilma, a system that quickly organized and strengthened to become the most intense Atlantic Basin hurricane on record, the National Hurricane Center exhausted its list of names. After pummeling the Yucatan Peninsula, Wilma took aim at the Florida coastline while Tropical Storm Alpha wreaked havoc on Haiti and the Dominican Republic. "Unprecedented” no longers seems sufficient , as the American Red Cross continues to mount a historic response to this hurricane season.

What You Can Do

American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of this and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.