As Hurricane Sandy approaches, our thoughts are with those in the path of the storm and we hope that you, your family and friends are safe. Here’s how you can get help now. For hurricane preparedness tips, you can download our Hurricane App to your smart phone, or click here to view them online.

Hurricane Sandy continues to move toward the Northeast, with hurricane-force winds extending more than 100 miles per hour from the center.  States of emergency have been declared so far in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Thousands of flights have been cancelled. In New York City, public transportation has been closed and bridges may close as well depending on wind strength.  Hurricane Sandy has already caused the cancellation of around 100 American Red Cross blood drives and more cancellations are expected as the storm continues to hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

With the support of our partners and volunteers, so far we’ve:

 *   Opened 112 shelters in 9 states serving 3,200 people

*   Mobilized nearly 170 Emergency Response Vehicles to move at a moment’s notice

*   Secured more than 230,000 shelf-stable meals

*   Readied thousands of supplies such as cots, comfort kits and clean up kits 

You can stand with us and help the families and individuals impacted by Sandy, and thousands of disasters across the country each year, by making a donation to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

Photo: RedCross.org