|
Red Cross Gearing Up for Gustav to Make Landfall
Red Cross is making preparations to feed, shelter, and provide emotional support to those affected by the storm.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 — The American Red Cross is getting ready for Tropical Storm Gustav and urges everyone living in the projected path of the storm to get ready too. The storm is poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane this weekend, and early next week could head towards New Orleans, Louisiana, also affecting Texas and Mississippi.
What you can do to prepare now-
The Red Cross urges residents who could potentially be affected to take this storm seriously and prepare now, before evacuations take place. In addition, listen to local officials and evacuate if you’re told to do so.
A critical step in preparing for the storm is to notify loved ones of your whereabouts. If you have time to make only one phone call before you evacuate, be sure to ask a friend or family member to register you as "safe and well" on the American Red Cross Safe and Well Website. This can then be checked by loved ones to let them know of your well-being.
If a hurricane watch is issued for your area, it means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours. If a hurricane warning is issued, it means hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for up-to-date storm information. Pack a bag and include medications and dentures, a flashlight and batteries, radio, first aid kit, bottled water, clothing and bedding.
In addition, here is how to prepare your pets for disaster.
If you have time, bring things indoors that could damage your home. Turn off electricity and water. Leave natural gas turned on; turn off propane gas service. Cover your windows. Gather essential supplies and important papers. Fill your car’s gas tank.
What the Red Cross is doing to prepare-
The Red Cross is moving hundreds of mobile feeding trucks into Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The organization is also moving thousands of cots and blankets, tens of thousands of comfort kits and ready-to-eat meals into the coastal states. Red Cross workers will be moving into the area today and Friday. Operational headquarters are setting up in Dallas, TX, Baton Rouge, LA, Hattiesburg, MS and Montgomery, AL.
The Red Cross work starts even before the storm makes landfall. As evacuation orders are given, Red Cross will be ready with shelters, food, and emotional support.
The people of the Gulf Coast will need your support in the coming days. Red Cross is asking for your help now. A record tornado season, wide-scale flooding in the Midwest, and an early wildfire season have put a strain on the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. You can help by calling 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish), or mail your donations to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org
|
