Big Battle for a Little Girl

Written by Jan Hale, American Red Cross Blood Services
 

We most often hear of life-altering diseases affecting their victims later in life. While these are always hard stories to tell and to receive, they seem to be all the more heart-breaking when the life they are affecting has just begun.

At only 3 years old, Reece Griffin was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) on April 16, 2015. ALL is a potentially life-threatening illness that can cause bone or joint pain, reoccurring infections and fatigue. Reece has had to receive numerous blood transfusions since her diagnosis, and she still has a long way to go.

On July 14, the American Red Cross is operating a blood drive in honor of Reece. We would like to encourage area residents to honor her and all of the other patients in the DFW metroplex in need of blood this summer by donating at the event.

“We can never thank those that rolled up a sleeve to give the blood that Reece has already received,” said Reece’s mom, Roxxy Griffin. “But, we can help educate our friends, neighbors and others on the importance of giving blood, especially during summer.”

The summer is an especially difficult time to collect enough blood to meet the needs of hospital patients. Many regular donors are traveling and vacationing, so summertime donors are extremely vital to ensuring that our area hospitals receive enough blood to fulfill patient needs. Blood donors with all types, particularly O negative, A negative and B negative, are urged to make an appointment.

Donate Blood in Honor of Reece McKenzie Griffin

Tuesday, July 14, 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Math/Science/Technology Magnet School

450 Abrams Road, Richardson, Texas

To make an appointment to donate, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org (Sponsor code: reecemckenzie) or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

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Stay Safe and Sound This Fourth Of July

By Shannon Randol, intern contributor, American Red Cross

What could possibly go wrong with explosives and a match?

This Saturday is the fourth of July, and most people plan to sit outside, barbecue something, relax with friends and enjoy a loud, colorful and explosive firework show as the night's finale.

Firework Safety

In Texas, you are allowed to purchase and ignite fireworks on your own property. The best way to safely enjoy the holiday is to attend a public firework show put on by licensed professionals, but if you decide to put on your show at home, we've got you covered.

Here are some safety tips for those of you setting off fireworks at home:

1. Never allow children to play to fireworks. 

2. Keep flames away from loose clothing and face.

3. Don’t make your own fireworks.

4. Always use fireworks outside. 

5. Keep a bucket of water or a water hose nearby just in case. 

6. Light firecrackers one at a time.

7. Never aim fireworks at other people or yourself.

8. Soak firework remnants in water before discarding in trash.

9. Only buy fireworks from licensed stores, tents and stands. Don’t purchase fireworks from persons on the street or at a home, usually these are transactions of illegal fireworks. Legal fireworks have bright colored packaging and a distinct warning label on the wrapping. Illegal fireworks aren’t packaged and are usually wrapped in brown paper.

10. Ignite fireworks away from the home, brush, leaves and other flammable materials.

According to the National Fire Protection Association approximately 50,000 fires a year are caused by improper use of fireworks.

Highway Safety:

Thousands of families will be on the road traveling over the weekend, so it’s essential to keep these tips in mind while road-tripping:

1. No texting while driving. This includes emails, Facebook and Twitter!
2. Always wear your seat belt.
3. Never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
4. Use caution in work zones.
5. Follow the speed limit! 

We want you to enjoy the weekend with your families, and your safety is of great importance to those of us at the Red Cross. Stay safe this holiday weekend, and enjoy the bang! 



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When the Thunder Rolls & the Lightning Strikes

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By Shannon Randol, intern contributor, American Red Cross

Don’t you hate it when a storm rolls in and causes the television signal to fizzle out? Or a crack of lightning delays an outdoor sporting event or celebration? As Texans, we know not to let the weather dampen our moods, but lightening strikes can be hazardous.  


Tornado season is over (hallelujah), but lightning is unpredictable and bound to happen. June 22^rd to June 28^th is National Lightning Safety Awareness Week, and it’s imperative to know what to expect when lightning strikes.

According to the National Weather Service, lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from the storm clouds, and it can strike in one place more than twice, despite what the old wives tale says.

Lightning carries an electrical charge, and water conducts electricity which makes the two a deadly combination. The NWS has a saying, “When thunder roars, go indoors,” and is a good rule of thumb to teach the little ones.

For your safety, the Red Cross has put together a list of Do's and Don't's:

1. Don't play in or be near standing water, pools, ponds and lakes.
2. Avoid large, open areas like fields and wide open spaces.
3. Migrate to lower ground and avoid high grounds as much as possible.
4. Avoid metal objects.
5. Stay away from appliances plugged into outlets.
6. Suspend outdoor activities for 30 minutes upon seeing the last bolt of lightening or clap of thunder.
7. Find a safe structure with walls, a roof, flooring and electrical/plumbing – this helps absorb a lightening strike.
8. Keep a safe distance between individuals as lightening can travel from person to person.
9. Plan ahead, know the weather forecast and your safety plan.

Lets debunk a few of the myths you’ve heard about lightning:

Myth: “Lightning never strikes in the same place twice.”
Fact: False; lightening has been proven to strike the same spot multiple times.

Myth: “A tree will protect you from a possible lightning strike.”

Fact: False; a majority of lightening casualties was from individuals seeking shelter under a tree.

Myth: “Your skin will begin to tingle and your hair will stand up straight before being struck by lightning.”

Fact: While this can be true and may be viewed as a last minute warning, it isn’t reliable; many lightning strikes don’t give the victim any warning.

Here are some #ProTips for safety and preparedness in a lightning storm:

• If you are outdoors when lightning strikes crouch down, and put your feet together while covering your ears. DO NOT LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND.

• Putting the body in the fetal position helps absorb a possible lightning strike. The electrical charge doesn’t have as long of a track while in a squatted position as it would if you were standing.

• Don’t allow your children to stomp around in puddles while it’s thundering and lightning. We know it’s fun to dance in the rain, but make sure it’s safe before you start embodying your inner Gene Kelly.

Cuando se Oyen los Truenos Después  Llegan los Relámpagos

Por Shannon Randol

¿No te molesta cuando las tormentas llegan y después causa el signo de la televisión que se vaya? ¿O cuando los relámpagos cancelan juegos de deportes o celebraciones importantes? Como Tejanos, sabemos de no dejar la temporada nos deprimen, pero cuando los relámpagos pegan puede ser peligroso.

La temporada de tornados ya se acabó, pero relámpagos en general no son previsibles. En junio 22 hasta junio 28 es la Semana de Conciencia de la Seguridad de Relámpagos, y es imperativo que uno sepa que expectar cuando relámpagos peguen.

El National Weather Service reporta que relámpagos pueden pegar hasta de 10 millas desde los nubes y puede pegar en un lugar más de dos veces.

Por qué los relámpagos tiene un cargo de electricidad  y el agua es un bien conductor de electricidad, esto hace una combinación peligrosa. EL NWS tiene un dicho que va, “Cuando truenos se oyen, metete adentro,” y es importante de enseñar este dicho a los pequeños.

Para to propia seguridad, la Cruz Roja tiene una lista de lo que uno debe y no debe que  hacer:

1. No jueguen o se acercan acercas de agua estancada, albercas o lagos.
2. Eviten estar en tierras altas.
3. Eviten objetos hechos de metal.
4. No se acerquen a enchufes o accesorios enchufados.
5. Cancelen actividades que están afuera inmediatamente de viendo relámpagos pegar.
6. Encuentra un lugar seguro con paredes, un techo, y piso con electricidad y plomería.
7. Tengan una distancia segura entre individuales porque los relámpagos pueden moverse de persona a persona.
8. Planean antes de tiempo, edúquense en el pronóstico del tiempo y sepan su plan de seguridad.

Vamos a desmitificar unos cuantos mitos:

Mito: “Relámpagos nunca pegan en el mismo lugar dos veces.”
Hecho: Falso; Es probado que relámpagos pegan el mismo lugar muchas veces.

Mito: “Un árbol te va proteger de los relámpagos.”

Hecho: Falso; La mayoría de las bajas por relámpagos fueron por individuales buscando abrigo debajo de árboles.

Mito: “Tu piel va empezar a tener comezón y tu pelo se va a parar arriba antes de ser pegado por relámpagos.”

Hecho: Aunque esto sea real y puede verse como una advertencia, no es de confianza.  Muchos relámpagos que pegan no dan advertencia a la víctima.

Aquí hay unos tipos (#ProTips) para tu seguridad y preparación para una tormenta de relámpagos:

• Si estas afuera cuando los relámpagos peguen agáchese, y pon tus pies juntos mientras te cubres tus oídos. NO SE  ACUESTEN EN EL PISO.

• Poniendo tu cuerpo en una posición de fetal ayuda en asorbando un posible rayo. La electricidad no tiene una pista larga mientras uno esta agachado comparado a estando parado.

• No dejes tus niños que pisen muy fuete en charcos mientras los relámpagos peguen. Aunque sabemos que es divertido bailando en la lluvia, uno tiene que asegurar su propia seguridad antes de encarnado a Frank Sinatra. 

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Red Cross Responding to Texas Tornadoes and Floods - Updated 07/20/15 9:45AM

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The American Red Cross continues to help residents across Texas affected by an ongoing severe weather outbreak, which included multiple tornadoes and widespread flooding. 

If you were impacted by the storms and need Red Cross assistance, please call this hotline number:
1-800-REDCROSS

The following shelters are open for anyone needing a safe place to stay:


Gulf Coast:

• Gulf Coast Shelter List Here

Central and South Texas Shelters:

• Central & South Texas Shelter List Here

 

If you are looking for a loved one in the area, please visit our Safe and Well registry at RedCross.org/SafeandWell or call 1-800-REDCROSS. 

If you want to help, visit RedCross.org/Donate
or call 1-800-REDCROSS 

Follow @RedCrossDFW on Twitter or Facebook for updates.

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La Cruz Roja responde a Tornados e Inundaciones en Texas - Actualizado 07/20/15 9:45AM

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La Cruz Roja Americana continúa ayudando en Texas a residentes afectados por el clima severo actual, que ha incluido Tornados e Inundaciones por doquier.

Si fuiste afectado por tormentas y necesitas asistencia de la Cruz Roja, por favor llama a este número:

1-800-REDCROSS

Los siguientes refugios están abiertos para cualquiera que necesite un lugar seguro para dormir:

La Costa del Golfo:

• Lista de Refugios de la Costa del Golfo Aquí

Centro y Sur de Texas:

• Lista de Refugios del Centro y Sur de Texas Aquí

Si estas buscando un ser querido en el area, por favor visita nuestro registro de Sanos y Salvos en RedCross.org/SafeandWells o llama al 1-800-REDCROSS

Si quieres ayudar, visit RedCross.org/Donate
o llame al 1-800-REDCROSS

Siguenos en Twitter @RedcrossDFW y en Facebook para leer actualizaciones

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Texas Tornado and Flood Response: Are You Ready to Go All In For Texas?

A Message from T.D. Smyers, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross North Texas Region

On June 2, our fellow Red Crossers around the nation will be asking Americans to give to our first-ever #allin1day fundraising effort to enable the American Red Cross to deliver help and hope to their friends and neighbors where the need is greatest.  Here in Texas, the greatest need is right here at home.

All across the state, severe weather, tornadoes and flooding have devastated neighborhoods and forced thousands of people from their homes since early May. The Red Cross has been there since the beginning to provide critical humanitarian relief the moment it’s needed. From EF-3 tornadoes in Cisco and Van, Texas to flooding in San Marcos and Houston that is still ongoing, we’ve provided a safe and dry place to stay, warm meals and comforting hugs for hundreds of our fellow Texans.

This is Emily Martinez, her husband and their 2-week-old son Nano. They are safe in a Red Cross shelter in San Marcos today after they woke up late last Sunday night to find a foot of water in their trailer home. They looked outside and saw the water rising.

“We were terrified. The water was so deep, and I was so scared,” said Mrs. Martinez. 

At the shelter, little Nano soon gained a surrogate aunt in Red Cross volunteer Jillana Holt-Reuter, “Gigi.” As Auntie Gigi held Nano, Mr. Martinez tells her how happy he is to have his family together.

“The Red Cross has been wonderful. I don’t know what we would do without their help. We have a safe place to sleep, food, friendly Red Cross friends and there are nurses here for us. We’re really very thankful.”

We’ve heard so many stories like the Martinez’s in our shelters all around Texas. We are privileged to be doing our part to help families on their road to recovery. 

Now we need your help as we continue responding to disasters big and small, like the tornadoes and floods in Texas. Visit RedCross.org/Donate or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS. We have a long way to go in this relief effort, part of more than 70,000 disasters the Red Cross responds to every year.

More than 2,000 Red Cross volunteers and staffers have worked on this massive relief operation, but all but 800 of them are actually from in-state. This is Texans helping Texans, answering the call when our neighbors need it the most.

Show your Support in the Social Space: 

Join us as we go All In For Texas. Use hashtag #allin4TX and change your social network icons to show your support! Below are some other ways to share.

For every Texan whose life you’ll touch with your support, THANK YOU.

Social Media Graphics (right-click & save-as to download)

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Tornado-Affected Residents Finding Help in Runaway Bay Shelter

by Carl Manning, guest contributor

Red Cross shelter manager Jen Edwards of Dallas talks with Brittiany Spain
while her three-year-old son Gabriel and husband Jarid wait.
The family came to the shelter after a tornado that went through
Runaway Bay, Texas, damaged their home. 

Three-year-old Gabriel Spain, along with his parents Jarid and Brittiany, showed up at the Red Cross shelter set up in Runaway Bay, Texas in search of a place to stay.

The youngster looked around the reception area clutching his toy truck and quietly explained: “Our house had a tornado. We hid in the closet.”

The family’s home was damaged by the tornado, tearing off large sections of the roof, exposing the interior to the rain and leaving the carpets a squishy mess.

The Spain family were among several who suffered through the tornado. Several condos a short distance away sustained major roof damage, forcing occupants to look elsewhere for a place to stay until repairs are completed.

The day after the tornado, the Red Cross began working on opening the shelter at the CrossWay Church. Red Cross emergency response vehicles drove through the community to provide food, water and cleanup supplies. 

Red Cross volunteer Steve Bales of Brownwood, Texas,
arrived with his Emergency Response Vehicle at Runaway Bay
 after a tornado went through a section of the community.
He talks resident to learn where the damage is in the community.

“We provide the people with what they need in the recovery process,” said Red Cross volunteer Steve Bales of Brownwood, Texas who drove one of the vehicles into the community.

He stopped at the Runaway Bay City Hall to talk to people gathered there to find out what where the tornado had done its damage so he would know where to go.  

At the shelter, Brittiany provided additional details to Red Cross volunteer Jen Edwards of Dallas, the shelter manager who made sure there were enough cots in the coverted sanctuary and food at the kitchen serving window.

Jen explained the shelter was opened to provide a safe place for people to stay if they didn’t have any place to go after the tornado. It’s among some 16 Red Cross shelters opened across Texas in the past two weeks because of severe weather. 

Brittiany explained it was her first tornado and when she first heard it, she wasn’t sure what was happening. But Jarid had grown up is southwest Kansas were tornadoes are about as common as cattle and wheat fields. 

“When the noise started, I knew exactly what it was,” he said, holding his son close to him. 

Brittiany added: “He said go to the closet now. Then the house started shaking and then there was the sound of breaking glass as the roof came off. It really was scary.”

The parents said they’re most thankful for escaping unharmed with their son.

“I have the two most important things in my life. Everything else can be replaced,” the burley oil field worker said. 

The Red Cross continues to provide critical humanitarian relief in Runaway Bay, Wichita Falls and nearly 100 other counties around Texas during this ongoing spring storm relief effort. You can help! Visit RedCross.org/Donate or call 1-800-REDCROSS to give.

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Disaster Mental Health Workers Helping Storm Survivors Cope

by Lauren McCinn Clarke, volunteer contributor
with contributions by Carl Manning, guest contributor

Tornado damage in an elementary school playground in Van, TX

For those who survived a disaster, it’s often more about a chance to talk about their feelings than being told how to deal with their emotions.

Red Cross disaster mental health counselors have been helping the victims of the severe weather that resulted in tornadoes and flooding around the state.  

“As you listen to people telling their story, it’s a way for them to process what’s been going on. It helps them to come to terms with it,” said Jerry Montgomery, a Red Cross volunteer who’s leading the team of about a dozen mental health counselors in the state. 

Jerry said what some might consider unusual behavior isn’t necessary that.

“It’s normal to be upset, maybe to cry. It’s just a normal reaction to an abnormal event,” she said. “We help them to understand their feelings are normal and they aren’t crazy.”

Children often are upset and show their feelings about a traumatic event. That’s when counselors like Richard and Carolyn Newkirk can use their specialized skills of counseling children. The husband and wife team were in Van, Texas after a tornado struck that community damaged the elementary school and damaged or destroyed more than 100 homes.  

They talked to the teachers and school administrators about what to look for with the children and what they could say to help the student. They also made themselves available to the students. 

“Children are very resilient and they get cues for handling stress from their parents,” Jerry said. 

Richard and Carolyn said they heard some interesting stories as they walked through the impacted areas of Van.

For instance, a family of eight was home when the tornado lifted the house off its foundation and spun it around, landing it about 20 feet in the opposite direction. Amazingly, nobody was hurt and the house stayed intact.

Another story they heard was a mother and father with a three-week-old baby in their car when the storm coming. Next they remember, the car was rolling around with them inside and finally landed upside down with the top crushed. Yet they were able to crawl out safely with minor injuries. 

The Newkirks said a wide variety of emotions come into play for survivors, the most common being glad to be alive. There’s also a lot of open generosity, giving and sharing. They said children are particularly resilient even if they lost everything. 

For Richard and Carolyn, their work can be a mixed blessing. There’s a sense of sorrow when they see people who have lost everything. But there’s also a deep sense of fulfillment when they can see how they helped some people. 

There is always a need for state-licensed mental health professionals who want to volunteer their time. If you have the right background and want to help, please visit RedCross.org/DFW & indicate your interest during the placement process.

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Memorial Day: Red Crossers, Still Serving

by Amy Yen, Regional Marketing Program Manager, American Red Cross North Texas Region

U.S. Air Force veteran Rickey Staves is still serving. 

This Memorial Day, he is on the job in the Disaster Operations Center at the Red Cross in Dallas, headquarters for an ongoing statewide storm relief operation. He is a Disaster Services Technology Manager, who supports the technology needs for the operation, which is helping residents affected by tornadoes and flooding from Wichita Falls to Corpus Christi.

It's a little different from his time on Air Force bases in California and Fort Worth, but it's also the same in one critical way.

"Whether it's the military or the Red Cross," said Rickey. "We're here to help--that's what we do."

Thank you to Rickey and all the other Red Crosser veterans spending their Memorial Day still serving. To learn more about how the Red Cross serves military members, veterans and their families, visit RedCross.org/Military.

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"This is Just a Setback" - Bridgeport Residents Begin to Rebuild

by Carl Manning, guest contributor

Red Cross workers help residents affected by a tornado in Bridgeport, TX.

Wesley Campbell was in bed when he heard the sounds outside his home and he knew the worst was happening. A tornado was heading straight for his home in a rural area near Bridgeport, Texas.

His wife, Mickey, yelled for him to get up and get out of the house, and they headed for the back door. But it was too late.

“We got there and that was as far as we got before it hit,” he recalled. “We got down behind the washer and dryer and waited. I could feel the house moving in all directions and we prayed hard.”

Bridgeport resident Wesley Campbell looks at damage to his
home after a tornado outbreak.

It didn’t take Wesley long to realize his worst fears had come true – the house he had called home for 15 years was in tatters and scattered. Sitting on the tailgate of his pickup, Wesley sipped from a bottle of water and looked at what’s left as friends and family gathered up what they could to put in his storage barn.

“This is our house, so sure, we’ll rebuild,” he said. “This is just a setback.”

As he looked around, Red Cross workers began arriving to offer assistance to Wesley and his neighbors. 

“It’s wonderful and unbelievable that so many came out to help. It makes me feel good. People I don’t even know are here,” he said of the Red Cross workers and others who were there to help.

A few hundred yards away, Scott Brandon talked to a Red Cross worker about losing his trailer home during a three-minute ordeal he said he’ll never forget.

“The trailer started moving and then it quit. Then it started moving again and then it stopped and it rained hard for an hour,” he recalled. 

Looking at the twisted wreckage that once was his home, Scott shook his head and said, “I’ve been walking around in a daze, feeling out of place and wanting to cry. But all my friends are okay and that’s what matters.” 

As he talked, a Red Cross emergency response vehicle arrived, bouncing along the rut-filled dirt road to set up operations to hand out snacks and water plus clean-up items like work gloves and tarps.

“They’re here to help us and if they can help us, that’ll be great,” Scott said.

One Red Cross worker grabbed an armload of work gloves from the vehicle and started passing them out to those working on a house with its metal roof twisted and torn and its windows broken.

Another standing by the Red Cross vehicle was busy handing out bottled water and snacks. One woman in line with her children and two dogs, when offered condolences, smiled and said, “Oh, it can all be replaced.”

The Red Cross continues to provide critical humanitarian relief in Bridgeport, Runaway Bay, Mineral Wells and more than 70 other counties around Texas during this ongoing spring storm relief effort. You can help! Visit RedCross.org/Donate or call 1-800-REDCROSS to give.

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Van Resident Remembers, Rebuilds

by Carl Manning, guest contributor

Van resident David Thacker hugs Red Cross volunteer
Brenda Jones of Longview at his home
that was damaged by a tornado.

It’s really been hard for David Thacker to think about his long-time friend and neighbor who was killed when a tornado torn through rural Van, Texas.

David was among those who found his friend still clutching his dog in a nearby field after the EF-3 tornado destroyed his home and also killed his friend’s wife. 

He and his friend had a regular meeting every Wednesday evening when they got together at the roadside where they left their trash for pickup the next morning. It had become a tradition, a time David looked forward to each week. 

“We discussed politics and livestock. We got along real good,” he said as a smile filled his face.

“It’s hard, it really is. A lot of time I try not to think about. But I like to think he’s in a better place,” he said, looking down at the ground at the spot where they had stood together for a dozen years

But David considers himself lucky because he and his wife were home eating dinner when the storm came. They survived and their home is still standing. He recalled looking out and seeing the tornado coming his way and using all his strength to close the front door against the howling wind. 

After the storm, he was among the first to volunteer at the landfill site where the debris that once were homes and possessions were brought for disposal. 

“It lets me help those who have nothing. At least we still got our home,” he says. “We’re lucky and I felt an obligation to give back, to help those who didn’t come out of this as well as we did.”

His neighbor on the other side of his mobile home had damage but he said the six people inside survived with only a few cuts and scratches. His son and family living nearby also escaped with minor damage. 

David said he’s been busy cleaning up around his property including 1,700 feet of fencing that was ripped up. He walks through his hay field picking up pieces of shingles and various household items like a storage container for silverware and sometimes personal items like photographs blown there from near and far. 

“Got to clean up this field before mowing it because if I hit some of this stuff with my mower, it would be big trouble,” he said. 

Earlier in the day, he had stopped at the Community Center where the Red Cross and other agencies were assisting people with the recovery after the May 10 storm damaged or destroyed more than 100 homes and displaced dozens of people. 

Within an hour after leaving the center, two Red Cross volunteers arrived to survey the damage to his home. He showed them how his home had been picked up and dropped back on the foundation, shifting a few inches to one side in the process. 

Red Cross volunteer Brenda Jones of Longview, Texas
hands snacks to Van resident David Thacker.

One of the volunteers reached into the van and handed him several snack items including a couple boxes of cookies – one for him and the other for his wife.

As he took the items, his eyes filled with tears. A minute later he walked over to the volunteer and hugged her.

“Until you see your friends die and your neighbors hurt, and you have people from all over the country to come out and help, there’s no way to describe how you feel,” he said while hugging the volunteer. “You’re a God-sent blessing.”

To help Red Cross spring storm relief efforts, visit RedCross.org/Donate or call 1-800-REDCROSS.

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Red Cross Service Centers Provide Help and Hope

by Carl Manning, guest contributor

A resident speaks with Red Cross nurses at a service center in Van, TX.

Red Cross Service Centers provide assistance to people affected by disasters such as tornadoes and flooding, often working with partner agencies to provide needed assistance. 

Among services available at the Centers are caseworkers who help those affected with immediate needs and help plan long-term recovery; registered nurses providing health services; licensed mental health counselors, and Red Cross volunteers who can assess home damage. 

The Red Cross has a Service Center in Van at the Community Center, 310 Chestnut. An EF-3 tornado damaged or destroyed more than 100 homes. It’s the same location where the Red Cross had been part the Multi-Agency Resource Center. 

The Red Cross on Monday opened a Service Center in the city of Bowie at 710 West Wise Street. Many residents in the Bowie area were affected by the recent flooding. 

There is also a service center available at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 18220 Upper Bay Road, in Houston, Texas for residents affected by flooding.

The Red Cross will continue to be part of the recovery process in Texas. Click here to see a list of current shelters and service centers.

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Pet Stories From Van

by Suzanne Wiley, volunteer contributor

Scrolling through my news feed the morning after I visited Van, I came across a familiar face. One of my friends had shared the story of the Bouchillon family—survivors of Sunday night’s tornado. The Bouchillons' car was tossed by the tornado. Andy, his wife and their baby came out virtually unscathed, but the family’s dog, Tater, was nowhere to be found.

Andy was reunited with Tater the next morning. I was there when Andy was interviewed by the national news stations. I saw him holding on to Tater for dear life.

The Bouchillon family’s story is not one I personally heard first hand, but I did meet a couple of people who shared their pet survival stories with me.

Lost Cat
We met Shelly on our first trip down Bois D'Arc Street. Her house was still standing and although she was without power, she was worried about leaving her home. Shelly expressed to us that she needed help. She needed supplies and wondered if there was anything we could to help spread the word about the cat she had found after the tornado devastated more than half of her neighbor’s houses. She told us she believed the cat lived across the street, because she said the cat kept looking over, seemingly to say, “Where did my house go?” When we returned to Shelly’s to deliver a Target Comfort Care kit, we snapped a picture of her and the cat.

If you recognize the cat, please contact the American Red Cross. 

Blue: The Dog That Comes Out to Say Hi
While searching for people who needed a tarp, we had a very friendly dog greet us along the way. We patted him and found his owner raking debris from his lawn. Though windows had to be boarded and a tarp covered his roof, the house was still pretty much intact.

Telling the owner that a photographer had taken a picture of his dog the day before, I asked the man where he took shelter during the tornado. He told me that when the warning sirens went off and his pictures started “levitating off the walls,” he ran into the bathroom and hid under the sink. As soon as it was over, he immediately ran outside to find his dog, Blue. Instead he heard screaming coming from next door. His neighbor’s home no longer had a roof, or many of its walls. He rushed over to help the women trapped inside. With the other neighbors, Blue’s owner picked off two by fours, rescuing his neighbors.

The search for Blue helped save lives.

Pets Need Emergency Kits, Too
For those of us with four-legged children, the stories of Tater and Blue hit home. Those are two lucky dogs! But not all pet stories have happy endings. Without any form of identification, Shelly’s rescued cat may never make it back to its original owners. When preparing for a disaster, keep your pets needs in mind.
•    All pets should identification at all times. Put your cell phone number on their tag or have them microchipped.
•    Keep enough food and water for your pet for five days stored in your safe room. Don’t forget a can opener if your pet eats canned food.
•    Have a copy of their medical records in a waterproof bag close at hand.
•    Pets should have a leash and a crate.
•    Remember cat litter and garbage or plastic bags to clean up your pets’ waste.
•    For comfort and security, your safe room or pet’s emergency kit should contain a blanket or bed and a toy.
•    In case of evacuation, take your pet with you. Before a disaster strikes, map out the pet-friendly hotels along your evacuation route.
•    Store the phone number of an animal shelter or kennel in your cell phone. Have a plan in place where you will keep your pet if you have to shelter in an American Red Cross shelter.
You have to wonder where outdoor animals go during a tornado. Tater was found near the Bouchillon’s overturned vehicle-where I can only presume he stayed overnight. Animals, especially dogs, can be fiercely loyal to their people. We owe it to them to prepare for their safety as much as ours.

To help, visit RedCross.org/Donate or call 1-800-REDCROSS. 

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Red Cross Preparing For and Supporting Storm Relief Efforts Across Texas

Even as we continue to support efforts in Van & around the state, we're preparing for more possible severe weather & flooding around Texas this weekend. Today, we sent truckloads of supplies to Waco and other Red Cross locations to the south, so we'll be ready to respond if we're needed.

Be weather-aware this weekend & make sure you talk to your family about what to do in an emergency. Download our free mobile preparedness apps to receive weather alerts and safety information!

Follow us on Twitter @RedCrossDFW for updates!

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