Canadian Red Cross

Red Cross response to New Brunswick floods

The Canadian Red Cross has assisted hundreds of people impacted by New Brunswick's most severe flooding in more than a quarter century. Even as flooding eases along portions of the St. John River, other areas remain at risk. Losses to individuals, farms and small businesses will be in the millions of dollars and some residents may be out of their homes for weeks or months depending on the extent of damage.

More than 100 Red Cross staff and volunteers from all four Atlantic provinces and Ontario have been at work in New Brunswick to help. Contact details for about 850 people who voluntarily evacuated their homes, or were contemplating doing so if conditions worsened, were entered in a Red Cross database. This information helps determine where our services are needed most, and ensures that evacuees are safely accounted for.

Red Cross volunteer Jeanette Miller travels by boat to check on people isolated in their homes by flood waters.

Red Cross shelters were established in communities spanning the more than 500 kilometres from Edmundston to Saint John, and close to 300 people have been assisted with temporary accommodations, many of them elderly.

Our volunteers and staff will also play a vital role in recovery efforts, providing information to affected homeowners, cleanup materials and advice, and applications for government assistance.

Financial support is needed to offset the cost of immediate disaster services by the Red Cross, and our continued support as individuals and families begin the difficult task of recovering from the 2008 floods. Canadians are encouraged to contribute by donating online, calling 1-800-418-1111 or contacting their local Red Cross office. Cheques payable to the Canadian Red Cross and earmarked "Flood Appeal 2008" can be mailed to the Canadian Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2.