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Red Cross, WMTW raise more than $40K for Hurricane Michael relief

Red Cross, WMTW raise more than $40K for Hurricane Michael relief
WEBVTT THE GRAND TOTAL. HOW MUCH MONEY WAS RAISE MARY CATE: TODAY’S EFFORTS HAVE RAISED A HECK OF A LOT. $40,805. THE RED CROSS SAYS IT WILL GO A LO WAY TO HELP THOSE IN NE OF SUPPLIES. WHEN DISASTER CALLS, THE RED CROSS IS THERE. BUT TODAY’S CALLS CAME FROM YOU, AS FOLKS FROM ALL OVER MAINE TOOK PART IN A RED CROSS TELETHON PROUDLY SPONSORED BY WMTW NEWS >> YOU CAN HELP ALL THE WAY FROM KITTERY, MAINE, FROM FORT KENT RIGHT NOW, AND IT IS NOT A PROBLEM AT ALL. MARY CATE: THE DONATIONS STARTED POURING IN AT 6:00 A.M. AND PICKED UP SPEED UNTIL TH EN AT 8:00 AT NIGHT. WITH OVER $40,000 RAISED JUST DURING THE TELETHON THAT MONEY WILL GO A LONG WAY. >> FIVE DOLLARS CAN GET YOU A BLANKET, TEN DOLLARS A MEAL SO $30 THREE SQUARE MEALS A DAY. THE RED CROSS HAS OPENED ONE HUNDRED SHELTERS IN AREAS THAT WERE IMPACTED BY HURRICANE MICHAEL, SO THOSE BEHIND THESE PHONES SAYING THAT EACH DOLLAR AND CENT GOES A LONG WAY. >> ANY DENOMINATION, IT MATTERS, IT COUNTS, AND YOU CAN DO IT. MARY CAT IF YOU DONATED TODAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO YOU ALL. WHILE THE TELEPHONE MIGHT BE OVER RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN STILL DONATE BY CALLING ONE 800 RED CROSS -- 1-800-REDCROSS OR VISITING THE RED CROSS WEBSI
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Red Cross, WMTW raise more than $40K for Hurricane Michael relief
A telethon sponsored by WMTW News 8 and the American Red Cross raised $40,805 for those impacted by Hurricane Michael.That total was as of 8 p.m. Monday when phone lines closed. The American Red Cross is helping thousands of people in nearly 100 shelters across the Southeast after the hurricane.If you missed the telethon, you can still donate now by going to redcross.org/wmtw8.Your donation provides supplies like cots, blankets and medical necessities.The Red Cross is also serving tens of thousands of meals to people who no longer have homes, people recovering from the storm and all its volunteers, including a handful from Maine.Hurricane Michael was the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental U.S. in nearly 50 years.The storm's death toll climbed to 18 Saturday after another victim was discovered in Virginia.With the death toll from the storm rising to at least 18, the number of those still unaccounted-for remains unclear.Thousands of people are likely to be without power in Florida's Panhandle for at least another week.Gulf Power officials announced Sunday that they expect to have power restored to 95 percent of those hit by Hurricane Michael by Oct. 24 -- or two weeks after the storm hit, leaving a trail of ruins across the region.Gulf Power is the main utility serving most of the area devastated by the deadly storm.Some areas, such as Panama City Beach, will get power restored in the next two days.But the electric utility said it will take longer for downtown Panama City and other towns closer to where Michael roared onshore.Gulf Power head Stan Connally called Michael an "unprecedented storm."The utility has brought in thousands of utility workers from around the country to help with the restoration effort.Currently, there are nearly 192,000 customers in Florida without electricity.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PORTLAND, Maine —

A telethon sponsored by WMTW News 8 and the American Red Cross raised $40,805 for those impacted by Hurricane Michael.

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That total was as of 8 p.m. Monday when phone lines closed.

The American Red Cross is helping thousands of people in nearly 100 shelters across the Southeast after the hurricane.

If you missed the telethon, you can still donate now by going to redcross.org/wmtw8.

Your donation provides supplies like cots, blankets and medical necessities.

The Red Cross is also serving tens of thousands of meals to people who no longer have homes, people recovering from the storm and all its volunteers, including a handful from Maine.

Hurricane Michael was the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental U.S. in nearly 50 years.

The storm's death toll climbed to 18 Saturday after another victim was discovered in Virginia.

With the death toll from the storm rising to at least 18, the number of those still unaccounted-for remains unclear.

Thousands of people are likely to be without power in Florida's Panhandle for at least another week.

Gulf Power officials announced Sunday that they expect to have power restored to 95 percent of those hit by Hurricane Michael by Oct. 24 -- or two weeks after the storm hit, leaving a trail of ruins across the region.

Gulf Power is the main utility serving most of the area devastated by the deadly storm.

Some areas, such as Panama City Beach, will get power restored in the next two days.

But the electric utility said it will take longer for downtown Panama City and other towns closer to where Michael roared onshore.

Gulf Power head Stan Connally called Michael an "unprecedented storm."

The utility has brought in thousands of utility workers from around the country to help with the restoration effort.

Currently, there are nearly 192,000 customers in Florida without electricity.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.