Millions of people from Nebraska to Texas face the treat of severe weather this week, and the Red Cross is urging people in these areas to get ready now.
Richard Woodruff, Directors of Communications and Marketing for the Utah American Red Cross joined GMU with tips. One thing people anywhere can do to prepare for emergencies is download the Emergency App. The app provides safety information, severe weather alerts, and shelter locations. Red Cross apps are available in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.
Keeping safe outside is important during high-weather risk times such as this. If someone is close enough to hear thunder, they are in danger from lightning and should go indoors immediately. People should start building disaster kits with three days worth of supplies. These should include one gallon of water per person per day, nonperishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a 7-day supply of medications, a multi-purpose tool, sanitation and personal hygiene items and copies of important personal documents. Families should also come up with a plan to reach each other in the case of an emergency.
Here is some info from the Red Cross about tornado safety:
People living in areas where tornadoes may occur should know their community’s warning system and listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about any tornado watches and warnings issued.
Other safety steps include:
BEFORE THE STORM:
· Pick a safe room – a basement, storm cellar or interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.
· Move items inside that could be picked up by the wind such as lawn furniture, trash cans and hanging plants.
· Watch for tornado danger signs such as dark, often greenish clouds, a wall cloud or cloud of debris, large hail, a roaring noise or funnel cloud.
DURING A TORNADO:
· Go to an underground shelter, basement or safe room. If these are not available, go to a small windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building.
· Mobile homes are not safe during tornadoes. Do not seek shelter in the hallway or bathroom of a mobile home. If you can get to a sturdy shelter or vehicle, abandon the mobile home immediately and go to the nearest sturdy building, using your seat belt if driving. Do not wait until you see the tornado.
· If caught outdoors, seek shelter in a basement, shelter or sturdy building. If you can’t get to one quickly, get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the nearest sturdy building.
· If driving, either stay in the car with the seat belt on and put your head down below the windows, covering with your hands and a blanket if possible. Or, if you can get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, get out of the car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.
To help people in need after emergencies, donate to the Red Cross. They are in need of donations due to three times more large-scale disasters during the first months of 2016 than the previous three years combined along with helping at the scene of hundreds of home fires and other smaller disasters every day.
People can give to Red Cross Disaster Relief to support disasters big and small by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations to Disaster Relief will be used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.
