FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Red Cross Readies Workers, Resources in Anticipation of
Hurricane Patricia
Local Residents Encouraged to Share Preparedness
Resources with Loved Ones in Path of Storm
Friday, Oct. 23, 2015
– The American Red Cross is proactively
readying its workers and resources in anticipation of Hurricane Patricia in
order to be ready to respond quickly to the enormous storm.
Here in Northern California,
trained Red Cross volunteers have been asked to update their availability to
deploy should the need arise in Texas and the U.S. Gulf Coast; Red Cross
Emergency Response Vehicles and their drivers are on alert; and experienced
leadership staff are on standby should their expertise be needed to help run Red
Cross disaster relief operations in affected areas.
As Mexico braces for Hurricane
Patricia, more than 500 Mexican Red Cross volunteers are ready to support with
first aid, logistics, relief distributions, shelter support and damage
assessments. The Mexican Red Cross has pre-positioned 18 emergency response
units—including ambulances—around Puerto Vallarta, have positioned thirty tons
of relief supplies in advance of Hurricane Patricia making landfall, and are
assisting with community evacuations.
The American Red Cross works
closely with the Mexican Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid and assistance
during large emergencies. Disaster specialists at the American Red Cross are
monitoring the storm closely, remain in close contact with colleagues at the
Mexican Red Cross, and are on standby to assist. As in all international
disasters, the American Red Cross intervenes when the national society (in this
case, the Mexican Red Cross) requests outside help.
“The western part of Mexico
--including the state of Jalisco-- happens to be from where the largest
percentage of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in California come; so we know that
many local residents are very concerned about their loved ones,” said Trevor
Riggen, Regional CEO, Northern California Coastal Region. “We want to encourage
residents to help their friends and loved ones in path of the storm to be
prepared by sharing these tips.”
WHAT LOCAL RESIDENTS CAN DO
NOW
- Everyone should download the free Red Cross Emergency
App, which provides tips on how to stay safe before, during and after a
hurricane and also provides emergency alerts and other tools. http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/hurricane
- Encourage loved ones to find out where they will get
information on when and where to evacuate, especially if they are visiting from
out of town and aren’t familiar with evacuation routes and
procedures.
- Set up your emergency communications plan with them NOW,
while communications are still up. How will you get in touch with loved ones and
know they're safe if phone lines and cell towers go down?
- If they are American citizens in Mexico, they should
check with the U.S. Department of State for guidance: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/hurricane-patricia-travel-alert.html
- Ensure they have an emergency kit with supplies for at
least 3 days, including food, water, medications, important documents, clothing,
a crank radio, back-up chargers for phones, etc. Find a full list here: http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family
In the past, the American Red
Cross has provided aid to families impacted by heavy storms and flooding in
Mexico, such as the distribution of kitchen items, household cleaning supplies,
and personal hygiene kits in the wake of Hurricanes Manuel and Ingrid, which
struck in September 2013.
In response to Hurricane
Odile—which made landfall in September 2014—the American Red Cross made a
financial donation to aid survivors and helped reconnect families of US citizens
who were stranded in Mexico. Red Cross chapters supported the reception of
flights with returning tourists in Texas and provided snacks, comfort items,
mental health support and calls to reconnect families. Likewise, the Mexican Red
Cross makes itself available to aid the American Red Cross during emergencies,
which it did during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
HOW TO HELP
In the immediate aftermath of a
large disaster, the best way to help is to make a financial contribution to the
aid agencies responding. Once emergency response agencies have established their
response structure, you can also reach out to find out what specific needs have
arisen and the best way to help meet those needs. Do not drive into the affected
area to deliver goods to volunteer unless you have already coordinated with an
aid agency to confirm the need for your help and the ability to utilize it.
(This article provides a deeper explanation of the best and worst ways to help:
http://money.howstuffworks.com/10-worst-things-donate-after-disaster.htm)
Because of the size, complexity
and cost of responding to large-scale disasters, the American and Mexican Red
Cross utilizes local Red Cross and community volunteers first, then deploys
skilled, trained volunteers from their nationwide network of Red Cross chapters.
If you are interested in becoming a American Red Cross volunteer, it is
important to sign up now and complete training so that you are ready to help
your community when the need arises. Visit www.redcross.org to fill out a
volunteer application.
About the American Red
Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @redcross.
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @redcross.
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Don't give a dime to the Red Cross. Check out how much of every dollar you send to them is spent on Relief. Less than 1%. Last year the CEO of the Red Cross made 1.6 Million dollars in pay. Corporate greed
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out that important fact about the Red Cross.
DeleteAnother interesting point two and a half days later is how fast this went from no storm to most powerful storm and back to almost nothing in less than 3 days.