By Terri Seydel

September 1^st of 2021 was no ordinary day for Lisa McAllister’s family. The day began with excitement as twin sisters Caty and Dani headed to the first day of their junior year in high school. It would be a special occasion because the students could finally attend school in person since the COVID pandemic had impacted the past two school years. Meanwhile, Lisa headed to work for a busy day as an Enrolled Agent with October tax deadlines quickly approaching.

But Hurricane Ida had different plans for the day. Lisa started receiving severe weather alerts and headed home to Fort Washington, Pennsylvania where she planned to ride out the storm with her daughters and their high school friend Ava.

The first tornado warning was issued shortly after she arrived home, so Lisa and the three teenage girls went to the lower level of the house to seek safety. They could see a tornado funnel through one of the windows and heard ‘what sounded like 50 freight trains’ and crashing sounds overhead. Then there was silence, followed by the sound of pouring water. Before they could comprehend what had happened, a second tornado warning sounded, followed by a third. Lisa and the girls huddled close together, fearing for their lives.

The electricity had gone out, and they couldn’t make phone calls for help. So, with no knowledge of when help would arrive, they worked their way upstairs, and reality set in. They could see that trees had crashed through the roof and water was pouring into the house. Realizing that it was not safe to remain in the house, they quickly collected a few basic necessities, including diabetic insulin, passports, and birth certificates, and made their way outside.

What they saw was shocking! Power lines and trees had been blown across roads, and neighboring homes had sustained unbelievable damage.  Lisa and the girls began climbing over debris and trying to walk to safety. During their efforts, they came across two neighbors they had never met: the Littletons. 

Fortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Littleton’s home had been spared during the storm and they were out canvassing the neighborhood to see who needed help. The Littletons realized that Lisa and the three girls were having difficulty getting to safety and communicating with family and friends. So, even though they were complete strangers, the Littletons welcomed Lisa and the girls into their home for the night. They provided them with food, shelter, and a phone to call Lisa’s husband and Ava’s parents.

The next morning, Lisa and the girls walked through the unrecognizable neighborhood, the devastation was everywhere. But that day marked a new beginning. The community came together to help each other with food, money, supplies, and encouragement. Just as the Littletons helped strangers in their time of need, the American Red Cross quickly engaged the Disaster Recovery teams of volunteers to help the victims of Hurricane Ida.

During the aftermath of Ida, more than 3000 Red Cross volunteers from all over the country worked tirelessly to provide disaster relief services. The relief services included emergency lodgings, food, basic necessities, access to medicine, and financial assistance to more than 12,000 storm victims.

Lisa shared that she had always admired the American Red Cross but hadn’t developed a full appreciation of the breadth of disaster services that the Red Cross provides. Red Cross volunteers contacted her family immediately after the storm to assess their needs and offer assistance. They provided access to emergency funding for immediate needs and continued to check in with Lisa over the following months.

Lisa’s family is now in the process of rebuilding their home. She is thankful that her daughters witnessed and benefitted from so much kindness from their community and the Red Cross volunteers. Through this experience, they learned there are many honest and good-hearted people in this seemingly negative world.

Once Lisa is back in her home, she plans to pay the kindness forward through the American Red Cross in some meaningful way. She saw firsthand just how important the Red Cross volunteers are and how much they help families in need. 

Check out Red Cross volunteer opportunities if you’re interested in volunteering your time or making a contribution to help with future disaster needs.