![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I hope none of you live along the Gulf Coast where Gustav might hit, and hope even more that it dissipates or weakens.
For those who might need it, or who might be in the path of future storms,
Hurricane Gustav — August 2008
RED CROSS PRIORITY MESSAGING
• This storm is unpredictable and could cover a wide geography. The American Red Cross is as ready as we can be.
Over the next two days we are a moving nearly 200 mobile feeding trucks into Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
We are also moving more than 100,000 cots, 200,000 blankets, tens of thousand of comfort kits, and ready to eat meals into coastal states. Those supplies are being loaded onto 99 shelter support trailers to be dispersed throughout the region.
Red Cross workers will start moving into the area Thursday and Friday.
We are setting up operational headquarters 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.
• We’re getting ready and we need families to get ready too. Get prepared now – visit www.redcross.org. Take any evacuation orders seriously. Listen to officials and leave when told to do so.
• The people of the Gulf Coast will need your support in the coming days and we need your help right now as our relief effort get underway .
A record tornado season, wide-scale flooding in the Midwest, and an early wildfire season have put a strain on the Disaster Relief Fund.
• The best way to help is by donating to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
To contribute to the Disaster Relief Fund, call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) 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.
SAFE AND WELL
• As you evacuate, if you have one call to make before you leave home, call some one you love and tell them you are safe. Then, ask them to register you on Safe and Well.
• If you are affected by the storm, register on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website accessible at www.redcross.org.
The Safe and Well Website allows those directly affected by a disaster to let their loved ones know of their well-being.
For those that do not have internet access, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 2 of 5
800-733-2767) to register yourself and your family. Follow the prompts for disaster information.
Concerned family members who know the person’s phone number (home, cell or work) or a complete home address can search for the messages posted by those who self-register.
KATRINA LESSONS LEARNED MESSAGING
• The Red Cross doesn’t have the expertise, equipment or resources to perform every disaster service.
Services such as providing transportation for evacuees, search and rescue, advanced medical care, and medical sheltering are best performed by government agencies or organizations that have the resources, the trained workers, and the expertise to carry out those functions.
• All disaster response organizations - from non profits to the federal government -have improved their ability to respond to a major disaster.
• It’s important to remember that large disasters are bigger than any one organization. It’s going to take all of us together to help the people of the Gulf Coast.
• How is this response different? The Red Cross is better prepared to take on a storm of this magnitude because we’ve got better systems in place, more trained workers and more partnerships than we did prior to Katrina.
We have increased the amount of food, cots, blankets, comfort kits and other relief items to ensure enough shelter supplies are on hand to accommodate half a million shelter residents.
These items are prepositioned on the Gulf Coast and we don’t have to move them in.
We have increased the number of mobile kitchens and feeding vehicles.
We have permanent satellite communication systems in dozens of Red Cross chapters to enable communication in the event of damage to the local infrastructure.
Partnerships with civic groups, the faith based community and business have expanded our reach across the Gulf Coast.
SAFE SHELTERING
• The Red Cross will only shelter in the safest locations possible. That means no shelters in flood zones or evacuation areas.
• The safety of our shelter residents is our first priority. We won’t compromise their safety or that of our volunteers.
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 3 of 5
• We spend months planning with state and local governments regarding the location of our shelters.
GENERAL SHELTERING
• If you must evacuate to our shelters, there’s a few things we need you to bring with you: prescription and emergency medication, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, important documents and other comfort items.
• Additionally, special items for children and infants, such as diapers, formulas and toys, should be brought, along with other special items for family members who are elderly or disabled.
• We try to provide as many of these items as we can, but evacuation shelters are meant to be short term shelters for 12-24 hours until the storm passes. But, you never know how long you might have to be in a shelter and it is best to be prepared.
GENERAL HURRICANE MESSAGING
If a hurricane is predicted
• HURRICANE WATCH: Hurricane conditions are possible in your area, usually within 36 hours.
• HURRICANE WARNING: Hurricane conditions are expected in your area, usually within 24 hours.
Hurricane WATCH issued:
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for up-to-date storm information.
• Bring things indoors that could cause damage to your home, such as outdoor furniture.
• Turn off electricity and water. Leave natural gas on; turn off propane gas service.
• If high winds are expected, cover the windows.
• Protect your valuables; Make a visual or written record of all of your household possessions. Record model and serial numbers.
• Gather essential supplies and important papers.
• Fill your vehicle’s gas tank.
• Recheck manufactured home tie-downs.
• Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first aid supplies, drinking water and medications.
Hurricane WARNING issued:
• Listen to local officials – leave if told to do so.
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 4 of 5
• If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.
• The worst part of the storm will happen once the eye passes over and the winds blow from the opposite direction.
• Be alert for tornadoes. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.
Preparing to evacuate:
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for evacuation instructions. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Know ahead of time where you can go if told to evacuate.
• Keep the evacuation place telephone number handy, along with a road map.
• Take prescription medications and medical supplies, bedding and clothing, bottled water, battery-operated radio and extra batteries, first aid kit, flashlight, car keys and maps, and important papers.
Assemble a disaster supplies kit:
• First aid kit and medications.
• Canned food and can opener.
• At least three gallons of water per person.
• Protective clothing, rainwear, and bedding or sleeping bags.
• Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
• Special items for infants, elderly, or disabled family members.
• Written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas and water if authorities advise you to do so. (Remember, you'll need a professional to turn them back on.)
Prepare for high winds:
• Install hurricane shutters or plywood boards for each window of your home.
• Make trees more wind resistant by removing diseased and damaged limbs.
After the hurricane:
• Keep listening to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for instructions.
• Return home when local officials tell you it is safe to do so.
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 5 of 5
• Inspect your home for damage.
• Use flashlights in the dark; do not use candles.
• Stay away from flood waters.
Red Cross staff layoffs:
The Red Cross streamlined its national structure to reduce costs and better support our chapters and blood regions where front-line services are delivered.
• We did not cut the level of assistance provided to disaster victims.
• Communities facing disaster will see the same number of Red Cross shelters, amount of disaster supplies, and level of individual assistance.
• Red Cross is still responsible for integrating the work of national non-profit agencies that provide mass care during a disaster. We were assigned this responsibility under the National Response Framework and will work to carry out that responsibility.
For everyone, the best way to help is by donating to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
For those who might need it, or who might be in the path of future storms,
Hurricane Gustav — August 2008
RED CROSS PRIORITY MESSAGING
• This storm is unpredictable and could cover a wide geography. The American Red Cross is as ready as we can be.
Over the next two days we are a moving nearly 200 mobile feeding trucks into Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
We are also moving more than 100,000 cots, 200,000 blankets, tens of thousand of comfort kits, and ready to eat meals into coastal states. Those supplies are being loaded onto 99 shelter support trailers to be dispersed throughout the region.
Red Cross workers will start moving into the area Thursday and Friday.
We are setting up operational headquarters 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.
• We’re getting ready and we need families to get ready too. Get prepared now – visit www.redcross.org. Take any evacuation orders seriously. Listen to officials and leave when told to do so.
• The people of the Gulf Coast will need your support in the coming days and we need your help right now as our relief effort get underway .
A record tornado season, wide-scale flooding in the Midwest, and an early wildfire season have put a strain on the Disaster Relief Fund.
• The best way to help is by donating to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
To contribute to the Disaster Relief Fund, call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) 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.
SAFE AND WELL
• As you evacuate, if you have one call to make before you leave home, call some one you love and tell them you are safe. Then, ask them to register you on Safe and Well.
• If you are affected by the storm, register on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website accessible at www.redcross.org.
The Safe and Well Website allows those directly affected by a disaster to let their loved ones know of their well-being.
For those that do not have internet access, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 2 of 5
800-733-2767) to register yourself and your family. Follow the prompts for disaster information.
Concerned family members who know the person’s phone number (home, cell or work) or a complete home address can search for the messages posted by those who self-register.
KATRINA LESSONS LEARNED MESSAGING
• The Red Cross doesn’t have the expertise, equipment or resources to perform every disaster service.
Services such as providing transportation for evacuees, search and rescue, advanced medical care, and medical sheltering are best performed by government agencies or organizations that have the resources, the trained workers, and the expertise to carry out those functions.
• All disaster response organizations - from non profits to the federal government -have improved their ability to respond to a major disaster.
• It’s important to remember that large disasters are bigger than any one organization. It’s going to take all of us together to help the people of the Gulf Coast.
• How is this response different? The Red Cross is better prepared to take on a storm of this magnitude because we’ve got better systems in place, more trained workers and more partnerships than we did prior to Katrina.
We have increased the amount of food, cots, blankets, comfort kits and other relief items to ensure enough shelter supplies are on hand to accommodate half a million shelter residents.
These items are prepositioned on the Gulf Coast and we don’t have to move them in.
We have increased the number of mobile kitchens and feeding vehicles.
We have permanent satellite communication systems in dozens of Red Cross chapters to enable communication in the event of damage to the local infrastructure.
Partnerships with civic groups, the faith based community and business have expanded our reach across the Gulf Coast.
SAFE SHELTERING
• The Red Cross will only shelter in the safest locations possible. That means no shelters in flood zones or evacuation areas.
• The safety of our shelter residents is our first priority. We won’t compromise their safety or that of our volunteers.
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 3 of 5
• We spend months planning with state and local governments regarding the location of our shelters.
GENERAL SHELTERING
• If you must evacuate to our shelters, there’s a few things we need you to bring with you: prescription and emergency medication, extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies, important documents and other comfort items.
• Additionally, special items for children and infants, such as diapers, formulas and toys, should be brought, along with other special items for family members who are elderly or disabled.
• We try to provide as many of these items as we can, but evacuation shelters are meant to be short term shelters for 12-24 hours until the storm passes. But, you never know how long you might have to be in a shelter and it is best to be prepared.
GENERAL HURRICANE MESSAGING
If a hurricane is predicted
• HURRICANE WATCH: Hurricane conditions are possible in your area, usually within 36 hours.
• HURRICANE WARNING: Hurricane conditions are expected in your area, usually within 24 hours.
Hurricane WATCH issued:
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for up-to-date storm information.
• Bring things indoors that could cause damage to your home, such as outdoor furniture.
• Turn off electricity and water. Leave natural gas on; turn off propane gas service.
• If high winds are expected, cover the windows.
• Protect your valuables; Make a visual or written record of all of your household possessions. Record model and serial numbers.
• Gather essential supplies and important papers.
• Fill your vehicle’s gas tank.
• Recheck manufactured home tie-downs.
• Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first aid supplies, drinking water and medications.
Hurricane WARNING issued:
• Listen to local officials – leave if told to do so.
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 4 of 5
• If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.
• The worst part of the storm will happen once the eye passes over and the winds blow from the opposite direction.
• Be alert for tornadoes. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.
Preparing to evacuate:
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for evacuation instructions. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Know ahead of time where you can go if told to evacuate.
• Keep the evacuation place telephone number handy, along with a road map.
• Take prescription medications and medical supplies, bedding and clothing, bottled water, battery-operated radio and extra batteries, first aid kit, flashlight, car keys and maps, and important papers.
Assemble a disaster supplies kit:
• First aid kit and medications.
• Canned food and can opener.
• At least three gallons of water per person.
• Protective clothing, rainwear, and bedding or sleeping bags.
• Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
• Special items for infants, elderly, or disabled family members.
• Written instructions on how to turn off electricity, gas and water if authorities advise you to do so. (Remember, you'll need a professional to turn them back on.)
Prepare for high winds:
• Install hurricane shutters or plywood boards for each window of your home.
• Make trees more wind resistant by removing diseased and damaged limbs.
After the hurricane:
• Keep listening to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for instructions.
• Return home when local officials tell you it is safe to do so.
Hurricane Gustav — Talking Points — August 2008 — Page 5 of 5
• Inspect your home for damage.
• Use flashlights in the dark; do not use candles.
• Stay away from flood waters.
Red Cross staff layoffs:
The Red Cross streamlined its national structure to reduce costs and better support our chapters and blood regions where front-line services are delivered.
• We did not cut the level of assistance provided to disaster victims.
• Communities facing disaster will see the same number of Red Cross shelters, amount of disaster supplies, and level of individual assistance.
• Red Cross is still responsible for integrating the work of national non-profit agencies that provide mass care during a disaster. We were assigned this responsibility under the National Response Framework and will work to carry out that responsibility.
For everyone, the best way to help is by donating to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.