Having a game plan and all the essentials packed up and ready to go can make all the difference if disaster strikes.
When wildfires strike, it's often unexpected... and you may need to evacuate your house at a moment’s notice. What's worse, you may not have a home to come back to once the smoke subsides.
“If you're in an evacuation order, you want to prepare that your home may not be there when you return, so grabbing those essential items, having them pre-packed so that you take the maximum advantage of the small time you do have to get out is important," said Mary Powell, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Northern Nevada.
Items you should pack include things like passports, birth certificates, extra cash, at least three days of medication, food and water, that way you are not scrambling if an evacuation order goes out. But you should keep a spot open for things that will look after your mental health as well...
“What's going to keep you occupied, what's going to keep your stress level down? Is it a specific food or drink or maybe it's a stuffed animal for your child or some toys and games to play to keep you occupied while your are displaced from your home," said Powell.
Should disaster strike, whether it's wildfire or flood, the Red Cross has and will be there to assist displaced residents. “With Caldor fire we had a big shelter open, we had many many displaced residents that needed an additional place to sleep."
The Red Cross says they have their work cut out for the recently, as “Disasters are increasing, the impacts are increasing, and so our need for donations is also increasing to make sure we are improving our capacity to meet the needs as it's coming.”
Unlike some state or federal organizations, the American Red Cross is mostly volunteers. “90% driven by volunteer work force, so we are only as strong as the community that comes in and is willing to help their neighbor in need,” Powell says.
If you would like to donate or become a volunteer for the American Red Cross, you can click here: https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html#step1
If you would like more information about how to be better prepared for an emergency, you can click here: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html
