The Red Cross has depleted its national relief fund and has taken out loans to pay for housing, food and other relief services to assist the seven Midwestern states inundated by floods, according to The Washington Post.
Red Cross officials estimated that the flooded region has cost $15 million so far. If the Mississippi River floods, it could cost up to $40 million, The Post reported.
So far, the Red Cross has raised $3.2 million to assist the region. However, officials say they are running short on funds because people have become less willing donate to the organization due to the rise in gasoline and food prices, according to The Post.
The Red Cross gets part of its funding from Congress, but the majority comes from private donations. Red Cross spokeswoman Laura Howe told The Post that the organization currently faces one of the most dire relief fund situations it has encountered since Hurricane Katrina affected the Gulf Coast in 2005.
The Red Cross has responded to more than 30 natural disasters in the past two months, according to The Post.
-R.K.
