SUPERSTORM SANDY:

One Month Update

A Message from the Red Cross President and CEO
Hurricane Sandy was a major storm that impacted an area the size of Europe and caused a tremendous amount of
destruction across New York, New Jersey and other states. The American Red Cross has responded with what is
our biggest U.S. disaster response in more than five years, and we are incredibly grateful for the generous support
of so many donors and volunteers as well as government and non-profit partners across the country that enable us
to help the survivors of this storm. Through this support, we have accomplished much. But there is still work to be
done, and we will be there to help.

I grew up and spent much of my life in the New York/New Jersey area, and I have been to the affected areas five
times in the first weeks since the storm.

In my more than four-and-a-half years at the Red Cross, I’m no stranger to disasters, whether tornadoes, floods,
earthquakes or hurricanes. But what struck me was the massiveness of it, the miles and miles of devastation that
just seemed endless. Boats lifted over homes. Washing machines in the middle of the street. And so much trash—
boxes, furniture, mementos and precious memories of families—piled up along the curb as far as the eye can see.

This also is the first time I’ve seen a hurricane response during cold weather, as the late-October Sandy was quickly
followed by a nor’easter that dumped snow and brought frigid temperatures to people already struggling without
power. I saw many people with Red Cross blankets wrapped around them or wearing the gloves from our cleanup
kits to keep their hands warm.

I met many people who wanted simply to tell me their stories—a woman who had moved here from another
country and who lost everything; a woman in a shelter who was worried about her home; a man on Staten Island
who didn’t know why his home was spared when the homes of his neighbors were demolished. Sharing these
experiences is part of the healing process. I was also struck by the determination of individuals to start over,
rebuild, and power through their loss.

Every time there is a need, the American public steps up. Our citizens open their hearts to volunteer to provide
comfort and hope; they reach into their wallets to provide financial support; and they even open their veins to
donate blood to save the lives of complete strangers.

Because of our generous donors and volunteers, we are carrying out a major response with more than
14,400 people—90 percent of them volunteers from all 50 states—providing shelter, food, water, supplies
and comfort to families impacted by the storm. My heart fills with pride for these Red Cross workers, who
seem tireless even as they work in shelters, distribute meals and supplies or listen to someone in need.

The Red Cross has given help and hope for weeks already, and we will continue to do so for weeks and months
to come. We believe our relief operations are going to cost well over $110 million and could go higher depending on
the needs. We are going to honor the wishes of our donors, and after the emergency relief part of work, we will use
any remaining donations for Sandy to meet the longer-term needs of communities affected by this disaster. We are
committed to being good stewards of your contributions.

On behalf of the entire Red Cross and the people who we serve, we deeply appreciate your tremendous generosity.

Gail McGovern

SUPERSTORM SANDY ONE MONTH UPDATE 2

In Advance of the Storm
The 2012 hurricane season had one last blow when weather RED CROSS SUPERSTORM SANDY RESPONSE*
reports warned of a tropical storm—Sandy—forming during Estimated Expenses through December 31
the last week of October, just one month before the official $110M (in thousands)
end of the hurricane season on November 30. The threat
Food and Shelter
heightened as forecasts of a “superstorm” arose, with the
$72,950 66.3%
chance of a devastating storm surge exacerbated by high Relief Items
Relief Items
tides from the coinciding full moon, and the possibility of $30,000 27.3%
$30,000 27.3%
the tropical storm colliding with a cold front. Experts were Disaster Vehicles,
predicting massive flooding in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Equipment and Warehouses
and heavy snow in West Virginia. $3,000 2.7%
Physical and Mental Health Services
Food and Shelter
As meteorologists tracked the path of the strengthening $2,200 2.0%
$72,950 66.3%
storm, schools and federal and local governments closed, Individual Casework and Assistance
$1,850 1.7%
major airports shut down, AMTRAK stopped service, roads
closed and public transportation was halted—all in anticipation
*An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross
of Sandy’s wind, rain and waves. spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs.

In the days leading up to the storm’s landfall, the Red Cross Food and Shelter
identified shelters, readied supplies, and mobilized emergency The Red Cross opens shelters to en-
response vehicles and relief workers. The Red Cross coordi- sure people have a safe place to stay
before, during and after the storm.
nated with federal, state and local governments as well The Red Cross serves meals at
as other nonprofits to help threatened communities brace shelters, as well as from emergency
for impact. response vehicles moving through
neighborhoods and fixed feeding
sites in affected communities.
To help people get ready, the Red Cross encouraged those
in the path of the storm to follow the advice of local officials Relief Items
The Red Cross distributes a range
and prepare. They were urged to download our free Hurricane of relief items including comfort kits
app for smart phones, which launched in August 2012. The app with hygiene items like toothbrushes
helps users find the nearest shelter locations, receive weather and toothpaste, cleaning supplies,
flashlights, batteries, trash bags,
alerts and preparedness tips, and post a “safe and well” mes- cold-weather essentials (gloves,
sage to let loved ones know they’re out of harm’s way. blankets, hand-warmers) and shovels.
Because the Red Cross is prepared to respond to disasters Disaster Vehicles, Equipment
and Warehouses
throughout the year, we had shelters open for people ahead Red Cross workers drive through
of the storm, warehouses stocked with shelf-stable meals neighborhoods to distribute water,
and supplies, and emergency vehicles ready to deploy. food and relief supplies in more than
300 feeding trucks as well as rental
cars, trucks and other vehicles.
This also includes costs associated
with warehousing, fleet management,
fuel and other necessities.
Physical and Mental Health
Services
The Red Cross provides physical and
emotional support services to clients
including first aid and replacement of
prescription medicines.
Individual Casework and
Assistance
Red Cross caseworkers meet with
individuals affected by disaster to
offer assistance, identify special
needs and help them plan their
long-term recovery. Assistance can
include groceries, clothing, lodging
and other aid to help a family get back
on its feet.

Timeline of Red Cross Response

OCTOBER 22 OCTOBER 24 OCTOBER 25 OCTOBER 27 OCTOBER 28 OCTOBER 29
A tropical depres- Sandy becomes a The Red Cross Sandy makes a turn Sandy moves 12:30 PM
sion forms in the Category 1 hurricane; begins to mobilize to the northeast off northeast along Sandy makes a
southern Caribbean triggers flooding, workers, shelters the coast of Florida. the East Coast, on northwest turn to-
Sea; the depression mudslides, injuries and supplies, Six shelters open in a collision course ward the coast of
later strengthens and and deaths in Cuba, preparing for North Carolina and with a high-pressure New Jersey. Red
becomes Tropical Haiti and Jamaica. Sandy’s impact. Virginia. cold front. More than Cross operations
Storm Sandy. The Red Cross 190 shelters open, are established
issues the first of sheltering more than across 11 states,
many disaster alerts. 4,600 residents. the District of
Columbia and
Puerto Rico.

Total number of shelters includes both Red Cross and independent shelters

SUPERSTORM SANDY ONE MONTH UPDATE 3

Landfall
The record-breaking storm made landfall on October 29, around
8 p.m., south of Atlantic City, N.J., bringing 80 mph winds that
downed trees and power lines, heavy rainfall, flooding, and a
destructive storm surge, which devastated the Jersey coastline.
In West Virginia, the storm brought blizzard-like conditions, with
snowfall up to several feet in mountainous regions.

Jason Colston/American Red Cross

In New York City, a nearly 14-foot storm surge swamped
Battery Park, causing lower Manhattan to flood and triggering
widespread power outages. New York University Hospital,
Belleville Hospital and a few others evacuated hundreds of
patients to safer facilities after losing power and backup
generators failed. City tunnels and the New York subway
flooded and were inaccessible—forcing the New York City
public transportation system to close for the second time in
history. City bridges remained impassable. The New York Stock Red Cross volunteer Jasmine Graves applies Halloween costume
Exchange shut down for two consecutive days—only the makeup to shelter resident Brian Corrasco, age 10, so he and the other
second time since 1888. children at the shelter can still celebrate Halloween despite the storm.

Hoboken, N.J., and Staten Island and Long Island, N.Y., as well
as other New Jersey and New York communities, experienced
severe flooding, while towns such as Long Beach, N.Y., were
left underwater. Hundreds were forced to evacuate as flash
floods rushed through the streets in Toms River and Ocean
City, N.J., and other barrier island communities. Pieces of the
iconic boardwalks of Atlantic City, N.J., and Seaside Heights,
N.J., were washed into the sea.

Les Stone/American Red Cross

Sandy left more than 8 million East Coast residents without
power, some of them for weeks; this became particularly
dangerous as temperatures dropped to near freezing after
a nor’easter blew through the already crippled area. Tens of
thousands of people were left homeless from the storm’s
impact. Cars waited in miles-long lines to get gas in affected
regions, and very few grocery stores and restaurants remained
open in devastated areas. President Obama issued emergency
declarations for 11 states affected by the storm: Connecticut, Candice Haugland and her nieces, eight-year-old Amy Hoopingarner
Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New and two-month-old Nora Remington, settle in at the Red Cross shelter
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and in the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, N.J.
West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

Timeline of Red Cross Response

NOVEMBER 8 -
OCTOBER 29 OCTOBER 30 OCTOBER 31 NOVEMBER 1 NOVEMBER 7 PRESENT
8:00 PM Sandy moves away The Red Cross More than 14,300 A nor’easter strikes, The Red Cross
Sandy makes landfall from New York, moves kitchens residents stayed bringing chilly tem- relief operation—
near Atlantic City, N.J. losing strength and supplies in shelters, and peratures along with meals, shelters,
Red Cross workers are as it moves over into affected more than 215,000 wind, rain and snow supply distribution—
staged or embedded in Pennsylvania. areas. More than meals and snacks to the same areas still continues in full force.
more than 20 locations. 160,000 meals have been served. reeling from Sandy.
and snacks have
been provided.

Total number of shelters includes both Red Cross and independent shelters

SUPERSTORM SANDY ONE MONTH UPDATE 4

The Red Cross Response
Bolstered by the public’s compassion and generosity, the
Red Cross began to offer respite and comfort as Sandy’s
devastating reality became evident.
Affecting the East Coast from North Carolina to Rhode Island,
as well as Puerto Rico, Sandy hampered movement across the
region as the storm hit—a situation the Red Cross faced as we
positioned workers, opened shelters and readied supplies. In the
response’s first days, while overcoming challenges like flooded
roads, closed bridges and tunnels, and gas shortages, Red Cross
workers fanned out across the region, providing food, shelter,
cleanup supplies, hygiene kits with items such as shampoo, soap
and toothbrushes, and emotional comfort. And when a nor’easter
struck in early November, we reinforced our efforts, determined
to give help as Mother Nature targeted the area again.
Allied with more than 50 national partners, the Canadian
Red Cross and the Mexican Red Cross, local and federal
governments, and community volunteers, the American Red
Cross has provided crucial relief services to countless people
since Sandy hit. More than 14,400 Red Cross workers have
converged on the East Coast, providing the care that is our
organization’s heartfelt promise to the country.
More than 300 emergency response vehicles, and additional
rental cars, trucks and other vehicles, have been deployed,
delivering meals, bottled water, supplies and a helping hand
to neighborhoods on the Eastern Seaboard. As of November
27, four weeks after landfall, the Red Cross has distributed
more than 7.4 million meals and snacks, while we’ve provided
approximately 86,800 health and mental health consultations
to people living in difficult conditions following Sandy.
The concrete aspects of our efforts—the meals, supplies,
shelter, and day-to-day necessities—give rise to an immeasur-
able but important key to recovery: hope.
Children evacuated from their homes were able to trick-or-treat
in a Red Cross shelter. During Thanksgiving week, we delivered
approximately 20,000 boxes of food in New York filled with Social Media in Action
canned sweet potatoes, green beans and corn, and packages Red Cross social media played a tremendous role
of mashed potatoes and rice. On the holiday, communities in in our response, as Red Crossers monitored and
New Jersey and New York received 40,000 hot Thanksgiving engaged in social media to provide preparedness
meals, prepared by the Southern Baptist Convention and and safety information ahead of the storm and
delivered by Red Cross workers. then provided information on where people could
get help. More than 20 trained digital volunteers
Despite the devastation, the determination to celebrate these
put in 300 hours engaging people affected by
cherished holidays offers the expectation that recovery is the
Sandy. After the storm passed, digital volunteers
next step communities will take in Sandy’s wake. The Red
Cross is committed to ensuring this hope perseveres. It is our pushed out locations of emergency response ve-
goal that individuals, families and communities will not only hicles and fixed feeding sites, posting the infor-
gather momentum toward recovery, but that they will emerge mation to the Red Cross Disaster Newsroom and
stronger and more resilient. Facebook or tweeting it to followers on Twitter.
Ongoing monitoring of tweets and other social
To view our video, Hurricane Sandy: One Month Out, media posts from those affected also helped the
on the Red Cross response to date, please click here. Red Cross get assistance to communities in need.

SUPERSTORM SANDY ONE MONTH UPDATE 5

Looking to the Future
The Red Cross is still in the emergency phase of our response
to Sandy and continues to provide food, shelter, supplies and
other help—we will be involved in these efforts for weeks and
months to come.
At the same time, the Red Cross is working with communities to
determine unmet needs and how we can meet them—something
we will continue into the recovery process. Any funds donated
for Sandy beyond what is needed for emergency relief will be put
to use serving the long-term needs of communities affected by
this disaster. The Red Cross is developing specific plans that will
include a comprehensive needs assessment of the affected com-
munities and individuals. These plans will also identify resources
available from both the Red Cross and other organizations.
Experienced Red Cross workers can help survivors navigate
the recovery process, linking them to resources vital to recovery.
This assistance can include connecting people with existing
Thank You
Imagine fleeing as floodwaters rush into your home. Or having
no heat to warm your house as temperatures drop. Imagine not
knowing where to turn to find your family a safe place to sleep
and a nourishing meal. And then coming home to find your
belongings waterlogged and destroyed. Millions of people in
New Jersey, New York and other affected areas experienced
these heartbreaking moments after Sandy.
In times of despair, as in the aftermath of Sandy, the Red Cross
offers food, shelter, supplies, comfort and other lifesaving
services thanks to the generosity of our donors. The trusted
Red Cross symbol you see on a passing emergency response
vehicle, on the vest of a smiling Red Cross worker, or stamped
on a box of cleanup supplies lets people know they aren’t
social service programs in their community, helping them com-
plete forms for assistance or claims, getting them counseling,
identifying child care resources, helping them find new housing,
or providing a connection to legal assistance if they are dealing
with a landlord or contractor. Red Cross workers can also help
people find new, Sandy-specific recovery programs.
Recognizing that each community will have different needs,
and different groups working to meet them, the role of the
Red Cross will be determined by these local needs. What’s
crucial is that there is community collaboration and cooperation
to ensure that longer-term help reaches people who need it.
As of November 27, generous donors to the American Red
Cross have given nearly $170 million, which has helped fuel
our relief efforts, and will continue to aid us in meeting the
needs that arise during recovery.
alone—that they have the support of the Red Cross and the
American public to bolster them on the road to recovery.
In addition to an event like Sandy, the American Red Cross
spends an average of more than $360 million every year,
preparing for and responding to disasters across the country
and around the world. This includes the costs to feed, shelter,
distribute supplies and provide other types of support to the
victims of nearly 70,000 disasters each year. And this is driven
by the remarkable generosity of our donors.
Thank you again for empowering the Red Cross to provide
a compassionate response to alleviate suffering in the wake
of this superstorm.
SUPERSTORM SANDY ONE MONTH UPDATE 6