The American Red Cross has launched aid responses in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Alaska following main weekend storms that induced disastrous flooding, and left the whole island of Puerto Rico with out energy, forcing many individuals to depart their properties.
Hurricane Fiona slashed Puerto Rico with 85 mph winds and 16 inches of rain, knocking out energy to the whole island. Thousands of miles away, Typhoon Merbok pounded the west coast of Alaska, inflicting flooding which tore buildings off their foundations and compelled individuals from their properties. The Red Cross is launching aid responses to each storms.
FIONA Red Cross disaster groups are in Puerto Rico and close by, poised to renew aid companies when it’s protected accomplish that. Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico with 75 mph winds and heavy rain, knocking out energy to the whole island. Some areas may see as a lot as 30 inches of rain earlier than the storm strikes away from Puerto Rico, and flooding, mudslides and particles are making it troublesome to revive energy and assess the harm. Hundreds have been evacuated and persons are being urged to maneuver to greater floor now. Rescuers have carried out a number of swift water rescues. Public transportation is at a halt and airports and seaports proceed to stay closed
In Puerto Rico, the federal government opens and manages emergency shelters. Reports point out greater than 120 shelters are open, many in colleges powered by photo voltaic micro-grid energy techniques put in with a Red Cross contribution of practically $1.5 million after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017.
Prior to Hurricane Fiona making landfall, the Red Cross prepositioned blood merchandise to assist hospitals in Puerto Rico. On Monday, the Red Cross despatched extra items of platelets to assist sufferers there. Platelets have a brief shelf lifetime of solely 5 days. The Red Cross urges these in non-impacted areas to present blood and platelets by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.
Fiona additionally handed over the U.S. Virgin Islands with heavy rain and 45 mph winds. Many are with out energy and the principle hospital and 911 Center are working with generator energy. Trained Red Cross disaster staff will assist with harm evaluation when it’s protected and are working with officers to find out what assist is required.
MERBOK The Red Cross is making ready to reply in western Alaska the place Typhoon Merbok struck over the weekend, inflicting flooding highly effective sufficient to uproot buildings and forcing residents to hunt shelter.
With winter’s freezing temperatures anticipated within the coming weeks, flooded properties and airport runways are a serious concern. Air journey and supply of products and provides by barge will halt quickly due to the oncoming chilly climate. In some distant areas, these are the principle strategies of getting provides.
The Red Cross has disaster groups in Alaska prepared to supply assist and luxury to these affected by this large storm as quickly as it’s protected to take action. Disaster staff from out of state arrived in Anchorage final week and extra Red Cross groups are on their technique to assist this operation. Communities have been recognized that want help and Red Cross groups are working with neighborhood leaders to offer assist the place it’s wanted most. In Alaska, shelters are run by the federal government and neighborhood teams and the Red Cross is making ready to assist them if wanted.
It’s essential to do not forget that responding to disasters is a crew effort and no single group can do it alone — the Red Cross will coordinate with officers and emergency administration to assist these affected.
YOU CAN HELP individuals affected by disasters like storms and numerous different crises by making a present to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your present allows the Red Cross to arrange for, reply to and assist individuals get better from disasters large and small. Visit redcross.org, name 800-RED-CROSS, or textual content the phrase REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
DURING AND AFTER A HURRICANE
- If native authorities advise you to evacuate, go straight away.
- Bring your Go Kit.
- Follow evacuation routes and don’t attempt to take shortcuts as a result of they might be blocked.
- Check with native officers for shelter places.
- If staying at residence, decide your greatest safety for top winds and flooding.
- Take shelter in a chosen storm shelter or an inside room.
- Stay away from glass home windows and doorways.
- Move to greater floor earlier than flooding begins.
- After the storm, anticipate officers to say it’s protected earlier than going again residence.
- Avoid broken or fallen energy traces, poles, and downed wires.
- Do not contact floodwaters as a result of they might include sewage, micro organism and chemical substances that may make you unwell.
- Do not use propane, pure fuel, or charcoal-burning units inside a house, basement, storage, tent, or camper – and even exterior close to an open window. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen or smelled, however it will probably kill you quick. If you begin to really feel sick, dizzy, or weak, get to contemporary air straight away – don’t delay.
- Wear acceptable protecting tools together with gloves, goggles and boots.
- Clean and disinfect all the pieces that obtained moist.
- When cleansing heavy particles, work with a companion. Make certain that you’ve got correct coaching earlier than utilizing tools, equivalent to chainsaws.
FLOOD SAFETY
- Turn round, don’t drown! Stay off the roads. If you should drive and also you encounter a flooded roadway, flip round and go one other means. If you might be caught on a flooded highway and waters are rising round you, shortly get out of the automobile, transfer to greater floor and keep there. Most automobiles might be swept away by lower than two ft of shifting water.
- Tune into your native radio, NOAA radio or information channel for the most recent updates.
- If your neighborhood is vulnerable to flooding, put together to evacuate shortly if obligatory. Follow evacuation orders and don’t return till officers say it’s protected.
- Stay away from floodwaters. Beware of snakes, bugs and different animals which may be in or round floodwaters and your property.
POWER OUTAGE SAFETY
Use flashlights at midnight — not candles.
- Don’t drive except obligatory. Traffic lights might be out and roads may very well be congested.
- Turn off and unplug any home equipment, tools and electronics. When the ability comes
again on, surges or spikes can harm tools. - Leave one mild on, so that you’ll know when energy is restored.
Download the free Red Cross Emergency app to have extreme climate security data proper at your fingertips, together with shelter places. The Emergency app gives real-time climate alerts and tips on find out how to keep protected throughout extreme climate and numerous different emergencies. Search “American Red Cross” in app shops or go to redcross.org/apps.
CORPORATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS HELP The beneficiant donations from members of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and the Disaster Responder Program allow the American Red Cross to arrange communities for disasters large and small, reply each time and wherever disasters happen and assist households in the course of the restoration course of.
ADGP $1M Members:
Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Bank of America; Best Buy; Caterpillar Foundation; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Elevance Health Foundation; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; FedEx; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Lowe’s Companies, Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Microsoft Corp.; Nationwide Foundation; PayPal; PetSmart Charities; The Starbucks Foundation; State Farm; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; and Wells Fargo.
ADGP $500K Members:
Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Bread Financial; Calmoseptine, Inc.; Capital One; CarMax; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; Dollar General; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Motor Company Fund; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Google.org The Home Depot Foundation; International Paper; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mastercard; Merck; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Organon; PepsiCo Foundation; Salesforce; Southeastern Grocers Gives Foundation & Southeastern Grocers, residence of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Stanley Black & Decker; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; and The Wawa Foundation.
ADGP $250K Members:
7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; The AES Corporation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; AT&T; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Big 5 Sporting Goods; CDW; Choice Hotels International; Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Company; CSX; The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Discover; Duke Energy; Dutch Bros Foundation; Equitable; FirstEnergy Corporation; Gopuff; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; HCA Healthcare; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo Foundation; LHC Group; Major League Baseball; Marathon Petroleum Foundation, Inc.; Martin Marietta; Mattress Firm; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Neiman Marcus Group; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Northrop Grumman; Northwestern Mutual; Old Dominion Freight Line; Pacific Life Foundation; Procter & Gamble; Prudential; Raytheon Technologies; Reckitt; Rodan + Fields Prescription for Change Project, a undertaking of New Venture Fund; Ross Stores Foundation; Ryder System, Inc.; San Manuel Band of Mission Indians; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Tata Consultancy Services; U-Haul International; U.S. Bank Foundation; and Zurich.