The Red Cross is currently at work in Harlan helping those impacted by the weekend’s flooding.

American Red Cross Senior Director of Communications Amber Youngblood explained some of the tasks the Red Cross is addressing in the aftermath of the flooding.

“The Red Cross has been working around the clock since Saturday evening, opening up a shelter as well as working closely with local officials,” Youngblood said. “As of yesterday, trained Red Cross disaster volunteers began doing damage assessments in Harlan and surrounding counties. We work closely with emergency management to see how much damage there has been and may continue to be in the coming days. This helps us determine if we need more materials and volunteers to support anyone impacted by the floods.”

The Red Cross is also helping provide temporary accommodations for those in need due to the flooding.

“A shelter is open should people need a place to stay who were affected by the floods,” Youngblood said. “The shelter is at Harlan Baptist Church located at 102 W. Mound St.”

There is no time limit on how long the Red Cross will be providing services, according to Youngblood.

“The Red Cross will continue to provide assistance for families impacted by the floods as long as there is a need,” she said. “We also are continuing to monitor the weather and know more rains are coming in. We have nearly 20 Red Cross workers in Harlan now, and have more volunteers on stand-by if needed.”

According to the American Red Cross website at www.redcross.org, The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton on May 21, 1881, and is dedicated to serving people in need. The organization received its first congressional charter in 1900, and is tasked by the federal government with providing services to members of the American armed forces and their families as well as providing disaster relief in the United States and around the world.

Anybody in need of further assistance should call 1-800-RED-CROSS.