Midwest Floods Leave the Red Cross in the Red

MSNBC and NBC News recently reported that the floods in the Midwest have left the Red Cross in the Red.  It was reported that the charity's "domestic Disaster Relief Fund had been wiped out by flood relief expenses that had reached $15 million by Monday[, June 16, 2004]."  It was further reported that "[w]ith a balance of zero in the fund, the Red Cross  will now seek loans to support its 2,500 staff workers and volunteers on the ground in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, the officials said." 

The floods have been historic.  Some have even described the floods as the 100-year flood, or 500-year flood.   “It’s unreal. It’s unreal. We were only hoping to get the 100-year [flood], and they hammered us with more than a 500-year,” said Jeff Gillick, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, city employee. "

Last, "[t]he floods have been blamed for at least 22 deaths, 17 of them in Iowa, where state officials told NBC News that they expected damage in excess of $1 billion.  President Bush was briefed on the damage and was scheduled to visit the area for a firsthand look later this week.

[President] Bush said he would seek emergency legislation in Congress to allocate disaster relief funds for the Midwest. But that process will take time, leaving the Red Cross as the primary resource for now."  For the complete story, please click here.

AMT