Red Cross on 2024 trends: Climate crisis creates massive humanitarian needs amid nonstop disaster responses

Donate a gift of any size or give blood during the holidays to provide help and hope

— In 2024, the climate crisis mounted an overwhelming toll on people in Texas Gulf Coast Region and the U.S., who relied on the American Red Cross for relief and care as they faced the country’s second-highest number of billion-dollar disasters ever recorded.

This year’s 24 major climate and weather events — each with losses exceeding $1 billion — are topped only by last year’s record-breaking 28. To help, hundreds of Red Cross volunteers from the Texas Gulf Coast Region have been part of teams responding nonstop to provide shelter, food and other assistance to tens of thousands of people reeling from this year’s hurricanes, storms, floods and wildfires — all while continuing to care for families still recovering from 2023’s extreme disasters.

“First-hand, I’ve seen the devastation that disasters have caused families this year — and the climate crisis shows no signs of slowing down,” said Shawn Schulze, Chief Executive Officer, Texas Gulf Coast Region, who responded to Hurricane Beryl. “Whether a crisis happens in our backyard or a community across the country, neighbors are counting on us to help ensure they don’t face it alone. Please join us by making a donation of any size or rolling up a sleeve to give blood.”

Over the course of the year the Texas Gulf Coast Region has responded to fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and derechos, and through it all, we have been there to support our communities when they needed us most.

We have deployed over 200 Red Crossers to support Disaster Operations across the Country
Responded to 14 Disaster Relief Operations (DROs) in Texas Gulf Coast providing the following to our local communities:
- Sheltered over 2,250 people for over 11,600 overnight stays
- Fed nearly 223,000 meals to people in need after disasters
- Distributed over 80,000 emergency relief supplies serving over 12,000 households
Responded to over 1,300 disaster action team calls for single and multi-family house fires, floods, tornadoes, and explosions
Opened cases for over 1,800 families serving more than 5,400 people.

RESPONDING TO OTHER HUMANITARIAN NEEDS This year, the Red Cross addressed people’s urgent needs in other ways too:

BLOOD DONATIONS: Millions of blood donors nationwide, including in the Texas Gulf Coast Region, helped overcome a significant number of blood drive cancellations due to the country’s severe weather and heat. This support was critical because as the nation’s largest blood supplier, the Red Cross helped ensure patients continued accessing lifesaving treatment during major disasters by pre-positioning blood products near areas likely to be impacted — including in Georgia and Florida for Hurricane Helene and in Florida again just days later for Hurricane Milton. To celebrate 30 years of FRIENDS, all who come to give blood or platelets Nov. 18-Dec. 8 will receive two pairs of custom FRIENDS + Red Cross socks, while supplies last, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products. See RedCrossBlood.org/Friends for details.
LIFESAVING TRAINING: With emergency rooms experiencing a spike in heat illness visits amid the country’s extreme temperatures, Red Cross instructors empowered millions of people this year with vital first aid, CPR and AED skills to help them prevent and respond to heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
MILITARY FAMILIES: Through our 24/7, global Hero Care Network, local Red Cross workers supported military members, veterans and their families in the Texas Gulf Coast Region this year through services, such as connecting deployed service members and loved ones during family emergencies. Nationally, this also included answering thousands of calls from military families affected by this year’s hurricanes — including Helene and Milton — and connecting them with military aid societies to help facilitate recovery assistance.

Visit redcross.org/Texas for more information about how the Texas Gulf Coast Region helped people in in 2024.

About Our Regional Holiday Supporters:

The Red Cross is grateful for corporate partners who contribute to our Holiday Campaign. They include regional partners Buckeye Partners LTD, Stellar Bank, Ruth and Ken Arnold, Bob and Marie Robinson and EOG Resources Inc. Thanks to the generosity of these and other supporters, the Red Cross is able to bring help and hope to people in need.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.