Red Cross Provides Update about Tornado Recovery

Ashley Smith, Community Disaster Program Manager for the American Red Cross, provided the following update during the Tuesday, July 14 Town Council meeting.

So far, 222 cases have been opened in connection to the June 11 tornado. The Red Cross has been working to provide a variety of services to these families This includes temporary shelter, meal assistance and mental health services. Red Cross case workers will continue to follow up with families to ensure they are aware of resources available to them.

“We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help folks,” Smith said.

There are still about 20 families (this includes 14 children) who are utilizing temporary shelter. Those families had been staying in the shelters set up in Merrillville and Highland. Through the financial assistance of a state agency, those families are now staying in hotels while permanent housing is established. Smith said those families have been sleeping on cots since the June 11 tornado, and this is the first week they will have a bed to rest.

Some of these families have arranged to move into housing by the end of the month, and work continues with a variety of agencies to find housing for other families. The Red Cross continues to provide meals to these families as the housing search continues.

The response to the June 11 tornado includes amazing volunteers who are not only local but also from many other locations, including California, Colorado, Ohio, Illinois and Puerto Rico.

“We have people from everywhere here to support the community,” Smith said.

If you haven’t already done so, please call 211 to report property damage sustained in the June 11 tornado. 211 representatives can also direct you to available recovery resources. You can also reach the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) for information about local resources.