Hurricane Irma Updates: How to Help Victims in Florida
On Thursday last week, Hurricane Irma left death and destruction in its wake, after it bulldozed through the Caribbean islands and Puerto Rico.
An estimated 1.2 million people have been affected by the calamity, according to Red Cross. Further reports of devastation were also received from the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla, as well as in St. Martin and St. Barts.
Over 6 million people were advised to evacuate from Florida as well, which records the biggest mass evacuation in history.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
For those who would like to send help to the victims of Hurrican Irma, the Center for International Disaster Information has advised that instead of shipping off goods to those affected by the calamity, the best way to send aid is to donate cash to charities supporting the victims.
According to the agency's guidelines posted on its website, "monetary contributions donated to established, vetted relief agencies are always more beneficial to survivors and to relief operations."
However, before people make donations, they must first check the legitimacy of the charities they are sending their money to. Charity Navigator can be of help regarding this matter.
Aside from sending help in monetary form, people can also help the Hurrican Irma victims through volunteering in shelters and disaster relief organizations. Red Cross is opening shelters, distributing supplies, and placing volunteers around Florida.
Also, for those who are in the home rental business, they are encouraged to offer their vacant spaces to the evacuees, if possible.
Tech giant Apple is reportedly participating in relief efforts as well by donating $5 million to the hurricane victims. The company has also provided an easy way for their customers to send monetary help.
Those who have an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a PC that has iTunes installed, can donate directly through the application.
"On behalf of everyone at Apple, our hearts go out to the millions of people whose lives have been disrupted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and the many more still bracing for Irma's impact," said Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple.
