Just because the Red Cross tells storm victims to apply for emergency aid, doesn't mean they'll actually give it to them.

I live in a coastal beach town; my best friend's house was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy - it was inundated with sea water up to the second floor and pushed off its foundation. She received absolutely no help from the Red Cross. She applied for Red Cross aid but was denied due to not staying in an official Red Cross shelter during the storm. Apparently the Red Cross only helps people whose homes were damaged in Hurricanes...if they evacuated and stayed in official Red Cross storm shelters. Since my friend stayed with relatives during the storm, she did not qualify.

One of the best organizations that helped in my area was the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief ; they were very well organized, came with supplies people actually needed (cleaning supplies, work tools, mold tests) and knew what they were doing.

The Red Cross, when it did show up (and let me emphasize, very briefly), just didn't seem to know what it was doing, and more interested in photo-ops than actual disaster relief. "Here's some pamphlets, sandwiches and a t-shirt. Crisis averted! Now onto the next town..."