Red Cross Moving Supplies and Volunteers as Fargo Races Against Floodwaters

Additional people and equipment arriving in North Dakota today

WASHINGTON, March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As North Dakota residents
prepare to fight potentially record flooding, the American Red Cross is
digging in with them and getting ready for what could be a long disaster
relief operation. The Red Cross is in a race against the clock to move food,
workers, cots and blankets into Fargo before the floodwaters on the Red River
crest as early as the end of this week.
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"This disaster is not a surprise; it has been coming and we have been working
with local Red Cross chapters and with the Canadian Red Cross," said Joseph
Becker, senior vice president of disaster services for the Red Cross. "But
what's not known is how fast the water will rise. When it does, it could stay
up for a long time and we want to be ready."

Nearly 100 Red Cross workers are already on the scene in the Red River Valley
to offer care and comfort. Eleven mobile feeding trucks are providing
thousand of meals and snacks to sandbagging volunteers. Another 20 feeding
trucks will arrive over the next 48 hours. More than 50,000 ready to eat
meals are also on hand to feed sandbagging crews.

In addition, 12 volunteer teams will arrive in North Dakota by Wednesday to
operate shelters, which could begin opening within the next 24 hours. Those
teams consist of seven people specially trained in the logistics of running a
shelter and providing health care and mental health counseling. Neighboring
chapters are also sending trailers full of cots and blankets to help supply
those shelters. The Red Cross is coordinating all of these efforts with the
governor's office, as well as state and local emergency managers.

Help people affected by disasters like the current floods, by donating to the
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when
donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are
used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables
the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to
victims of all disasters. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) 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, D.C., 20013. Internet users can make a secure
online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross

Public Affairs Desk, +1-202-303-5551 (FOR MEDIA ONLY)