American Red Cross responds to massive winter storm
February 2, 2011

WASHINGTON, /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is on the ground in 19 states, offering food, comfort and a safe place to stay to people affected by the massive winter storm which has buried the country in ice and snow from the Rocky Mountains to Maine.

As of midnight last night, 73 shelters were open in nine states with additional shelters on standby as the storm system moves to the Northeast. To find an open Red Cross shelter, people can visit www.redcross.org and click on 'Find a Shelter,' or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). People can also contact their emergency management office for help locating a shelter.

In Chicago alone, more than 360 people spent the night in Red Cross shelters. Many were motorists stranded by the storm. In Tulsa, Red Cross disaster workers housed almost 70 people overnight who could not make it home due to the storm. Five Red Cross disaster warehouses are on alert, ready to ship supplies to where they are needed to help people in the path of this huge winter storm. To help people affected by this winter storm and thousands of disasters in this country and around the world, visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to someone's local Red Cross chapter, or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.