Hurricane Harvey has hit the coast of Texas in full force. The storm made landfall on the evening of Friday, Aug. 25 with the force of a Category 4 hurricane. Houston, Corpus Christi and other large cities along the Texas coastline are expected to receive upwards of 40 inches of rain before the storm winds down on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Here are some ways you can help the thousands of victims affected by this massive storm:
Donating Supplies
With these storm victims having to quickly evacuate their homes, donated supplies help families while they remain without a home. Supplies such as toiletries, food, water, baby formula, diapers, and clothing can all be donated to organizations such as the Red Cross and the Texas Diaper Bank.
Donating Money
While disaster relief organizations are gearing up to help pick up after the hurricane, organizations such as Clean the World and Americares are rapidly accepting money donations in order to provide supplies and relief kids to those affected by the storm. While these two organizations start their minimum donations at higher prices, donations as small as $10 to the Red Cross can still have a major impact on families evacuating the disaster zone. You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to immediately donate $10 to those in need.
Donating Blood
There’s a pattern here: donating helps. The storm’s winds and flooding not only damaged homes, but caused injuries as well. Donating blood to organizations such as the Red Cross enables people with sustained injuries to undergo surgery if needed.
Shelter
If you know someone affected by the storm who remains without a home, open up yours. Airbnb offers free spaces to those who were evacuated from the storm. If you know of any families without homes right now, direct them to your home, Airbnb, or the Dallas convention center, which has been converted to a shelter for disaster victims.
