Red Cross Urges People to Prepare for Disasters

September is National Preparedness Month

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Hurricane Earl draws closer to the U.S. coast, the American Red Cross today marked the start of National Preparedness Month by urging people across the country to become better prepared

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This message comes at a time when the Red Cross and the entire East Coast is making preparations for possible landfall of Hurricane Earl, with the possibility of Tropical Storm Fiona to follow. The National Hurricane Center has urged people from the Carolinas to New England to closely monitor the storm as it makes its way toward the United States. The size of the storm could cause flooding and high winds to areas inland as well as along the coastline. .

"Disaster response has taught us that the combined resources of the government, community organizations and the Red Cross will never be big enough to do it all in every disaster," said Joe Becker, senior vice president, Red Cross Disaster Services. "Every person, business, school and house of worship must be prepared to take care of themselves and their neighbors in an emergency." 

The three keys to preparedness are to build a kit, make a plan, and be informed.

An emergency preparedness kit should include enough supplies for at least three days. Supplies should include water (one gallon, 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. The Red Cross also recommends having at least two weeks worth of supplies at home.

All members of the household should work together on an emergency plan. Each person should know how to reach other members of the household. The plan should also include an out-of-area emergency contact person, and where everyone should meet if they can't go home.

People should be informed about what types of disasters are most likely to occur where they live. It is also important to take a first aid and CPR/AED course—a vital component of disaster preparedness in case emergency help is delayed.

Throughout the year, the Red Cross conducts programs to help people be prepared. The "Ready When the Time Comes" program trains employees from corporations and mobilizes them as a community-based volunteer force when disaster strikes. "Be Red Cross Ready" is a web-based interactive training program that teaches people how to prepare for emergencies. The Red Cross "Do More Than Cross Your Fingers" campaign, featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, shows people how to customize their emergency kits.

This year, the Red Cross is holding preparedness events at several military installations across the country. Members of the Armed Forces and their families are packing emergency kits with items provided by the Red Cross. They will also receive information on how to be ready for the unexpected. So far, events at Fort Belvoir in Virginia and Fort Polk in Louisiana have helped hundreds of military families get prepared.

In Haiti, the Red Cross is working on disaster preparedness programs for vulnerable people currently living under tarps or tents. This includes programs that will train 500,000 camp residents on emergency first aid, safe evacuation procedures and early warning systems, as well as funding efforts to dig ditches and put sandbags on steep hillsides to reduce flooding.

Making an investment today in being prepared can save lives and livelihoods when disaster strikes. Contact your local Red Cross chapter or visit www.redcross.org to learn what steps you should take to be ready when an emergency strikes.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

SOURCE American Red Cross