Red Cross braces for weeks of relief effort in the face of colossal storm disaster

In response to what is expected to rank among one of the most devastating hurricanes to strike the United States, the Red Cross has launched one of its largest hurricane relief efforts in years.

Harvey, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane and is now drenching Texas as a tropical storm, has triggered a massive deployment of the humanitarian agency's resources and manpower. As of Monday morning, there were 1,600 Red Cross workers assigned to the relief operation in Texas, according to officials, and their ranks were expected to swell by at least an additional 1,000 personnel in the coming days.

"I believe firmly that this is a catastrophic event and indeed one of the most catastrophic events from a natural disaster perspective that I've seen in my lifetime," said Brad Kieserman, vice president of disaster services operations and logistics for the American Red Cross.

Kieserman, who has