Red Cross Opens More Than 180 Cases Since July

The American Red Cross has kept busy this year helping those affected by natural disasters in the Upper Cumberland.

Todd Griffin serves as the Disaster Program Manager for the Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross, which serves nine of the Upper Cumberland counties.

“Since July, which was the starting of our fiscal year, we’ve opened 185 cases,” Griffin said. “The bulk of those are fire calls. There were some storm damage events that destroyed homes and a couple of flooding events in there.”

Griffin said translates into 564 individuals and amounts to just over $136,000 in financial assistance to those families.

In Putnam County, the Red Cross has opened 17 cases in that same period, assisting 34 people.

In addition, the Red Cross also provides other disaster services like disaster health and mental health, spiritual care, and recovery planning.

The Heart of Tennessee chapter of the Red Cross serves Bedford, Cannon, Clay, Coffee, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Overton, Marshall, Moore, Pickett, Putnam, Rutherford, Van Buren, Warren and White counties