On September 1, 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida spawned tornadoes and deadly flooding in New Jersey and across the Northeast. In response, American Red Cross volunteers and employees worked tirelessly to provide shelter, food, relief supplies, and comfort to disaster survivors. The Red Cross also provided immediate financial assistance to help severely affected households purchase necessities like groceries and clothing. Additional recovery assistance, through the Red Cross Bridge Assistance Program, was provided to households whose homes were destroyed or sustained major damage.

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In New Jersey, trained Red Cross workers helped relief efforts by serving meals, distributing critical relief supplies, helping families plan their next steps and supporting those who were grieving loved ones. Red Cross teams worked closely with local officials to help assess the damage left behind and make recovery plans for the coming days and weeks ahead. 

The Red Cross in New Jersey:

·       Provided nearly 3,000 overnight shelter and hotel stays with partners.

·       Served nearly 21,000 meals and snacks with partners.

·       Distributed 12,700 clean up kits and 9,200 emergency supplies such as rakes, tarps, shovels and gloves.

·       Trained Red Cross volunteers provided emotional support, health services and spiritual care to those affected.

·       Activated 340 trained Red Cross disaster workers. 

·       Organized and/or participated in 18 multi-agency resource centers (MARCs).

Through casework, the Red Cross in New Jersey provided more than 4,600 people from 1,700 families with disaster recovery support, which includes emergency financial assistance for immediate needs. More than 820 New Jersey families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged, also received recovery financial assistance through the Red Cross Bridge Assistance Program.

Multi-agency resource centers (MARCs) were made available in affected communities to give residents the opportunity to learn about services available from a variety of organizations to help them rebuild their lives. Red Cross disaster recovery caseworkers were on hand at the numerous multi-agency resource centers held throughout the state.

Recovering from a disaster can be a confusing process, and it’s not always easy for survivors to find the help they need. The resource centers brought agencies such as FEMA, the Red Cross and other non-profit and community organizations involved in recovery efforts together in one location.

The Red Cross would like to share our deep appreciation to all of the volunteers, donors and community partners who helped bring comfort, care and assistance to their New Jersey neighbors in their time of need.