As Phyllis Ebanks and Sherry Dowling, who lived on different floors of the same apartment building on Quincy Street in Brooklyn, made their way home on the evening of September 16th, they had no idea that a tornado had touched down on their street or their buildings.
They each arrived home sometime after 7 pm, only to be greeted by the chaotic sight of blown-out windows, fire trucks lining the street, yellow police tape cordoning off the building and the sounds of people hysterically crying. Neighbors soon explained that they were struck by this “freak” form of nature. Phyllis looked up and was astonished by what she saw: “The roofs from the buildings next to ours had blown onto the top of our building, caving in the ceiling of the room where I sleep!” she said.
She and Sherry soon learned that due to possible structural damage, all tenants were barred from the building, and it could take weeks for that situation to change. Neither knew what they were going to do. After learning that the Red Cross might be able to assist, the women, who had not met before the storm, separately made their way to NY Red Cross Chapter headquarters in Manhattan, hoping for real help.
“The Red Cross gave me a sense of relief,” said Phyllis. “Desperate for information, I poured out questions like crazy and not once did the Red Cross people tell me that I’d have to wait for the answers. They helped me with money for food and put me in a hotel right away; they didn’t leave me wondering where I was going to stay.”
“I love the Red Cross,” said Sherry, who received emergency housing, a stipend for food, and referrals to city agencies for further services. “If it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t know my next step—what I was going to eat, where I was going to sleep. They really helped a lot.”
Phyllis added, “I’m grateful to the Red Cross. They gave me peace of mind.”