Barton led one of the group 's first major relief efforts , a response to the September 4 – 6 , 1881 Great Fire of 1881 ( Thumb Fire ) in the Thumb region of Michigan . Over 5,000 people were left homeless . The next major disaster was the Johnstown Flood , which occurred on May 31 , 1889 . Over 2,209 people died and thousands more were injured in or near Johnstown , Pennsylvania in one of the worst disasters in United States history
Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
American Red Cross