Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous material spills, transportation accidents, explosions and other natural or man-made disasters.

When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross is there to help.  Last year, the Black Hills Area Chapter provided emergency disaster assistance to more than 1,157 people when they needed it most; no matter when the call came.  Red Cross volunteers and staff are poised to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs.  When a disaster threatens or strikes; the Red Cross provides shelter, food, health and mental health services to address basic human needs.  In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families to enable them to resume their normal daily activities independently.

The Red Cross also feeds emergency workers, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, provides blood and blood products to disaster victims, and helps those affected by disaster to access other available resources.

If you have been affected by a disaster and require Red Cross services; call 888-271-3130 or our 24-hour Emergency Response Line: 605-390-0646.