Friday, April 25, 2014

Severe Weather Looming – Are You Prepared for Spring Threats?

by Sydney Holt, volunteer contributor

Forecasters are predicting the possibility of a significant multi-day severe weather outbreak this weekend, Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. Follow @RedCrossDFW on Twitter for real-time updates, and encourage your friends and loved ones to prepare a Survival Kit (instructions below) while keeping an eye on the sky!
Hot, cold, hot, cold, Dallas-Fort Worth weather can’t seem to make up its mind this year. As is typical of spring, cold air continues to hang around, significantly increasing the threat of severe weather in the metroplex.

Below are a few tips for helping you get Red Cross Ready as the spring season ramps us! 

1. Grab A Container! While a shoebox or extra container might seem like the easiest option, remember to choose an easy-to-carry, durable container such as a backpack or lightweight container with handles.

2. The Minimum. At a minimum you should have the following supplies. 

  • Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
  • Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
  • Flashlight
  • Extra batteries
  • First aid kit 
  • Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
  • Multi-purpose tool
  • Sanitation and personal hygiene items
  • Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
  • Cell phone with chargers
  • Family and emergency contact information
  • Extra cash
  • Emergency blanket
  • Map(s) of the area

3. Comfort Items. While the bare necessities are absolutely your first priority, having an array of comfort items is always a good idea – especially when dealing with children and pets. Examples include:

  • Small games (non-electronic), puzzles, coloring books, cards
  • Rain gear
  • Blankets, sleeping bags and pillows
  • Pet supplies – food, toys, carriers and sturdy leash or harness
  • Wet wipes
  • Towels
  • Bug repellant

4. Awareness. Finally, be sure your kit is easy to access and all members of your household are aware of its location. Use this time to talk about your plan in case of an emergency situation and review the FREE Red Cross resources, such as our suite of mobile apps and the Plan & Prepare section of our website.

3 comments:

  1. In this essay I will consider the social, economic and political factors of Disaster Kit. In depth analysis of Disaster Kit can be an enriching experience. Indispensable to homosapians today, Disaster Kit is not given the credit if deserves for inspiring many of the worlds famous painters.disaster supplies

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So beautiful post having too good contents about severe weather preparedness. I can say that it is one of the best post i read yet.

    dehydrated food

    ReplyDelete

The American Red Cross-North Texas Region does not moderate comments prior to posting, and we gladly welcome your comments — supportive, dissenting, questioning or otherwise. In general, we do not delete or censor comments unless they:

· contain excessive profanity
· contain harsh or offensive language
· use flaming or threatening language
· are abusive
· are off-topic or an inappropriate tangent
· are blatantly spam
· promote or advertise businesses
· personally attack the blogger or other commenters

While the American Red Cross-North Texas Region seeks to inspire, educate and excite its readers, this blog is a resource for the community and inappropriate comments will not be allowed. Participants who violate this Comment Policy may be blocked from future access and/or commenting on this blog.