Caring Causes - American Red Cross and Giving Tuesday

2024 is shaping up to be an above-average year for billion-dollar disasters— which have ravaged communities across the country and created a humanitarian crisis for tens of thousands of people reeling from severe storms, floods and wildfires.

 

NOAA’s latest data, as of September 10, has tallied 20 such disasters so far this year — which is on par with the annual average for the past five years. Plus, there are at least four more events, based on loss estimates, that will likely be added: recent Hurricanes Milton, Helene and Debby, and widespread flooding across in the Midwest in late June.

 

American Red Cross volunteers have been responding nonstop this year to provide shelter, food and care. Because of the climate crisis, the Red Cross is responding to twice as many major disasters as it did a decade ago — and the number of billion-dollar disasters has also increased 85% over the same time period.

 

In this interview, Jennifer Pipa, vice president of American Red Cross Disaster Programs, discusses the challenges of the climate crisis, how it’s stretching the capacity of emergency response organizations and what individuals can do to help across this holiday season.