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Show Disasters Strike 41 1 States During Year Red Cross Aids 420,000 Persons Following Catastrophes That the past year has not been an easy one tor the American Red Cross is shown in a recent report listing disasters necessitating Red j Cross relief throughout the United j States during the past twelve , months. The report reveals that 129 domestic domes-tic disasters called tor Red Cross aid 1 in 247 counties of 41 states, and that j assistance was given to 420,000 persons per-sons who were disaster victims. "That this has been a very active year is obvious when one compares this year's o,erations with the aver- j age of 92 disasters requiring Red : Cross aid annually for the past 16 J years, " Chairman Norman H. Davis j said in commenting on the Red Cross Disaster Relief Service report. These catastrophes included cloudbursts, cyclones, epidemics, fires, floods, forest fires, hailstorms, mine explosions, a school bus accident, acci-dent, a shipwreck, tornadoes, ty- phoons, and wind storms. ' "Disaster relief was the first humanitarian hu-manitarian work of the American I Red Cross after its organization in I 1SS1," Mr. Davis said. "In the ensuing en-suing 57 years the flag of the Red Cross has flown upon every scene of major disaster in the United States. The Red Cross has carried relief food, clothing, shelter, medical aid, rehabilitation of homes and families to more than 2,200 scenes of disaster dis-aster at home and abroad, and has expended over $140,000,000 contributed contrib-uted by the American public in this work of mercy." The Red Cross policies of relief, the national chairman pointed out, have been established over a period of years through actual experience of its workers in the field. Relief is given on the basis of need of sufferers suffer-ers not of losses. Loans, he pointed out, are never made, but relief Is a gift from the Red Cross in the name of its members and contributors to its work. "It would not be possible for the Red Cross to carry out such widespread wide-spread relief activities without the help of thousands of volunteer workers," work-ers," Mr. Davis said. "Volunteers are the mainstay of the organization, organiza-tion, and in the past year's work assistance from many cooperating agencies has made it possible for us to answer the many calls for help." While relief was being given to victims of natural catastrophes, the Red Cross was not unmindful of the necessity for preparedness plans to meet emergencies that may arise in any American community. Red Cross chapters in hundreds of counties coun-ties have organized disaster pre- paredness committees charged with responsibility to map relief plans in advance of need, and to organize resources re-sources of communities to prevent duplication of effort and waste of materials when calls tor help are received. These plans are proving especially especial-ly advantageous in localities subject to frequent floods, tornadoes, or hurricanes, hur-ricanes, and actual tests of such planning have demonstrated the necessity ne-cessity for such measures. "The administration of such relief for disaster victims is made possible by annual memberships of millions of Americans in all walks of life," Mr. Davis pointed out. "The extent of Red Cross aid to such sufferers, is entirely dependent upon unselfish sharing on the part of all of us." |
