Remembering Superstorm Sandy | Lessons from a Disaster Deployment

"Styrofoam Lady"

By Chuck and Marge Pulfrey, Disaster Action Team (DAT) Volunteers

When it became necessary to switch from serving meals from cambros to serving meals out of Styrofoam cases, a great opportunity for the Red Cross to support recycling and to further serve our clients became apparent. One such client spied an early Styrofoam case and asked what we did with them after they were used. We told her that they had to be discarded due to the effort and expense involved in getting them sanitized and she told us about her best friend, a veterinarian actively engaged in capturing, neutering, and releasing feral cats. Those cats that can be socialized are placed in adoption. The anti-social cats are returned to the wild along with a shelter made out of... Styrofoam boxes. The emergency response vehicle (ERV) drivers were immediately on board with this win/win approach and by the time we ended our deployment, enough used Styrofoam cases were provided to our client and the vet for them to host a 60-person class in making these recycled cat shelters. 

Remembering Superstorm Sandy | One Year Later

Superstorm Sandy dealt a devastating blow to the East Coast one year ago today. As this date approached, images like those on this recent BuzzFeed have served as intense reminders of what happened and how far we've come. While there's still much work to be done and there are many people still picking up the pieces from Sandy, the American Red Cross was there to help then and continues to assist one year later.

Last year, launching the biggest response in more than five years, the Red Cross mobilized to aid victims of the storm - opening hundreds of shelters, serving nourishing meals and snacks, and distributing millions of relief items. 17,000 Red Cross workers (90% were volunteers) offered comfort to those affected. Today, the American Red Cross continues to address long-term needs, working with government and nonprofit partners to assist those requiring help on the path to recovery. 

Red Cross NCR Response at a Glance

• Opened or supported 14 local shelters
• Provided 300 overnight shelter stays
• Served approximately 1,900 meals and snacks
• Mobilized 200 local volunteers and staff to engage in relief efforts immediately before & following the storm
• Deployed all 6 of the region's Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) to New York & New Jersey

Learn more about the American Red Cross' massive response to Superstorm Sandy by reading our one-year report.

Tips for emergency preparedness can be found on the American Red Cross website. Safety information is also available on our Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to download the Red Cross mobile apps, too!