Janya Marshall, left, director of development with the American Red Cross assists Nathanael Swain with a donation to the Hurricane Relief Fund, Sept. 3, 2005 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo)

    BEIJING, Sep. 7 (Xinhuanet)-- Americans are opening their purses generously for hurricane relief, donating over half a billion dollars withing a week to charities aiding victims of the flood.

    By Tuesday evening, US charities had raised more than $500 million in cash and pledges ¡ª more than twice the $239 million donated in the 10 days after Sept. 11, and more than three times the $163 million raised in the nine days after the tsunami that hit countries along the Indian Ocean last Dec. 26.

    "This outpaces anything we have had," said Ryland Dodge, spokesman with the American Red Cross. "The 9-11 donations ended up being $1 billion dollars (collected) over a long period of time."

    Much of the money has been donated to the American Red Cross. which had received $409 million as of midday Tuesday.

    The damage to people and places is so huge, relief workers said, that it will take this week's donations and millions of dollars more to ease the suffering along the Gulf Coast.

    They said that despite a record-breaking first week, total donations for Katrina were still a fraction of the amounts raised over months and years for 9/11 and tsunami relief.

    Federal and state officials have faced heightened criticism over the speed of the response to the disaster last week.Enditem

(Agencies)