This message from Anita Foster, PIO, American Red Cross:

Red Cross teams have been working around the clock since Saturday’s deadly tornado outbreak left thousands of people without a place to live. Tomorrow, teams of Red Cross nurses and mental health counselors will be joining the effort in Dallas and Collin Counties.

SHELTER LOCATIONS:

Red Cross shelters remain open for residents who don’t have a place to stay at Gale Fields Recreation Center in Garland and Steadham Elementary School in Rowlett. Last night, 42 people spent the night at a Red Cross location. Shelters will remain open until everyone has a safe place to stay.

RESOURCE CENTERS:

Red Cross teams are now available at tornado resource centers that opened today:

• First Baptist Church, 124 S. Washington Street, Farmersville, Texas. Hours 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The Red Cross will have caseworkers available and the church will be organizing the distribution of supplies.
• Granger Recreation Center, 1310 W. Ave F, Garland, Texas. Hours 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. will continue as a Multi-Agency Resource Center.

For the most current information on Red Cross and other services, visit the Red Cross blog at https://wordpress.com/post/redcrossdfw.wordpress.com/1819

SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION: 

Red Cross teams continue to distribute items such as shovels, rakes, tarps, work gloves and more throughout the affected communities. Supply distribution will continue until everyone has the tools they need for their clean-up efforts.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT: 

Disaster Mental Health counselors with the American Red Cross, Dallas County Mental Health and the Medical Reserve Corp. will be fanned out across Garland and Rowlett on Friday. They will be talking with families impacted by the storms and providing tips on self-care and how to cope with the storms aftermath. Red Cross Mental Health teams will also be in Collin County along with Collin County Mental Health. For those that might not be available to speak with a mental health member in the field, experts are available to speak with at the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: 

Red Cross damage assessment crews will head back out again tomorrow to continue with a comprehensive damage assessment that will show how many residential structures were damaged in the storm, with a breakdown of the types of damage. This helps the Red Crossunderstand how many families it will need to support in the weeks and months ahead. Preliminary damage assessment numbers are expected tomorrow.

HOW TO HELP: 

The best way to ensure the Red Cross can respond quickly and where needed most is through a financial contribution. Donations can be made at www.redcross.org, by calling 1-800-REDCROSSor texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10.