15 Movie Characters Who Should've Turned Around

By Shannon Randol, intern contributor, American Red Cross

Rain, rain, go away come again some other day ... like in a year.

The Red Cross has flooded social media feeds for months about the importance of #TurnAroundDontDrown (thanks for the campaign, National Weather Service)! So much so I think it's safe to say you might be sick of hearing it.

To add some cheer to the drenched residents of Texas and to play off of the infamous hashtag, here are 15 movie characters who should've just listened and turned around. 

15. Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"
Why did Melanie check out the attic alone when she knew there were killer birds out there flapping around? Don't ever investigate a noise in a thriller movie!

14. Tobe Hooper's "Poltergeist"
White noise coming from a television in the middle of the night? Little Carol why did you put your hand out?! Always pretend to be asleep and then tell your parents to hit the road tomorrow! Yikes!

13. Steven Spielberg's "Jaws"
A classic movie that terrified viewers with two notes, but Brody wanted to chum the waters. Why didn't you chug that tug boat to shore warp-speed after seeing the monster? You're crazy. 

12.  Joe Johnson's "Jumanji"
Yes, we understand you had to finish the game to end the nightmare, BUT after being thrown into a monsoon with a giant crocodile, why didn't you just say, "nope, I'm done, I need to get the rest of my life together!" 

11. Disney's "Little Mermaid"
Every time you watch Ariel give her voice to the sea witch, Ursula, you feel anxious. WHY WOULD YOU TRUST AN OCTOPUS?! Do you know how much easier it would've been to nab your prince had you just turned around!? 

10. Roland Emmerich's "The Day After Tomorrow"
New York City is under another world altering natural disaster? NOPE. It never ends well! And who wants to freeze to death and dig their way out of snow piled up as high as skyscrapers? 

9. David R. Ellis's "Snakes on a Plane"
Um, I can deal with spiders, but slimy no leg slithering poisonous snakes falling out of every nook and cranny from an airplane? I don't think so. I hate heights and flying for that matter, but I would've grabbed a parachute and floated my behind right back down to snake-free ground. Peace out! 

8. William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" 1973
If I saw anyone who could turn their head around without the use of their neck ... I wouldn't be wasting any time on trying to save their souls -- bye, Felicia. 

7. David Yates's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" 
You can't have a list without the Harry Potter series. I couldn't let it happen. I'm glad they didn't turn around, and I'm happy they beat that bully Voldemort. (#HarryPotterForever) But, in order to include them with this list, here's Longbottom's scene with all those greasy death eaters. 

6. Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice"
You're trying to tell me none of the Deetz's were scared when Barbra and Adam stretched their faces? It makes my eye sockets burn just thinking about it ... 

5. Colin Trevorrow's "Jurassic World"
No spoilers in this clip, but when the boys find the broken fence to investigate ... and then "Hello, super giant dinosaur"... Nope, nope, nope! Dinosaur + me in a small moving cube = definitely to the NOT. 

4. Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs"
Hannibal Lecter and his pack of misfit friends were beyond creepy. Clarice, when you left the jail you never should've looked back. The lotion does not do good for the skin.

3. John Hughes's "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
Poor Cameron, never should've let Ferris convince him to take out his dad's Ferrari. Then, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to knock it off its stand.

2. Howard Deutch's "The Great Outdoors"
Chet you should've just stayed home and forgot going to Wally's cabin. You had to have known the bald-headed bear was going to come looking for revenge!

1. Disney's "The Lion King"
Simba, why-oh-why did you have to go to Scar? Do you know grown adults still tear-up when your father, Mufasa, dies! Why couldn't you have just turned around!!!  

If ever in a pickle and you're not sure which direction to take, remember all of these fools who didn't turn around and ask yourself, "could this be turned into a GIF?"

There's a moral to every story, and you don't want to be the example. Don't attempt to drive through flooded streets and moving water, your life is much too valuable. Always remember turn around don't drown!

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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 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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Red Cross Services Available: Johnson & Erath Counties

This message from Anita Foster, American Red Cross North Texas Region:

Following damaging storms that tore across the state of Texas on April 26, the American Red Cross has been working around the clock to help families with their recovery. In total, some 600 homes were hit by the storms. Of those, 60 sustained major damage or were destroyed. Since the storms ended, the Red Cross has provided bottled water, meals and snacks, along with clean-up supplies, mainly tarps to cover damaged rooftops, to affected neighborhoods. Today, the Red Cross is opening two additional locations for families to visit if they need assistance:

Dublin – Resource Center

213 E. Blackjack St.

Dublin, TX 76446

Hours of Operation: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Rio Vista – Resource Center

102 E. Depot St.

Rio Vista, TX 76093

Hours of Operation: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

These centers will remain open until May 2. Families who can’t easily make it to the Rio Vista or Dublin locations are urged to call the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS or (800) 733 2766.

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Loving the Fur Babies on Love Your Pet Day

by Carol Grinage, volunteer contributor
 



Ladybird prefers crosswords.  

In honor of Love your Pet Day, Friday, February 20, we'd like to share with everyone our new partnership with an organization that enables us to give the fur babies in our lives love after a disaster too.

Let's face it. In spite of the fact that they're messy, noisy and sometimes mischievous (see photo evidence), pet owners wouldn't trade their 4-legged friends for anything. But when disasters strike, such as home fires, it's pets that are often left without help. What are people supposed to do when their pets need food? This is where Don’t Forget to Feed Me steps in.

On a daily basis, Don’t Forget to Feed Me is an organization that helps pet owners who cannot provide for their animals to receive food and supplies. But recently, their mission expanded when we teamed up together.

In January, Don’t Forget to Feed Me delivered 500 “Pet Comfort Kits” to the American Red Cross. The kits will be placed in disaster relief trucks. These kits contain a retractable food dish, pet food, leash, squeaky toy, and treats. When Red Cross workers respond to a home fire and the family also includes pets, volunteers will provide a Pet Comfort Kit to the owner. On average, Red Cross teams in DFW help five families every day.

For more than a century, American Red Cross workers have taken care of disaster victims by providing safe shelter, new clothing and groceries. Now, we can do even more. And our response volunteers already report what a big difference the kits make for pet owners, no longer worried about where fido or fluffy's next meal will come from either. On this Love Your Pet Day, we salute pet owners everywhere, and our newest partner, Don't Forget to Feed Me.

Show your Pet Day love by posting a photo of the creature in your life, and if you'd like, you can use hashtag #LoveYourPetDay.

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Turn Up the Heat this Valentine’s Day- Without Getting Burned

Written by Natalie Horn, volunteer contributor

If you watched the T.V. show “Friends,” then you may remember “The One with the Candy Hearts,” in which Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe start a boyfriend bonfire in their apartment on Valentine’s Day. The result of their bitter cleansing ritual is a call to the New York Fire Department, where they are lectured on fire safety by three handsome, albeit not amused, firemen.



Some Valentine’s Day disasters, like a bad date, are unavoidable; however, some can be avoided with the proper preventative measures. Take time to stop and smell the roses this holiday, but follow these quick safety tips to ensure that your night doesn’t end up in flames.

Mood Lighting

Candles can create a romantic ambiance in any room but if you plan to use them, make sure they stay within eyesight. Never leave candles unattended, and place them on heat-resistant surfaces away from walls and any flammable materials. Make sure they are properly and fully extinguished when you are done using them!

Hair Tools

Getting all dolled-up for a hot date? Before you leave, turn off and unplug your curling iron or any electrical hair appliances you use. 

Burning Love

If you plan on curling up by the fire, use a fireplace or an outdoor fire pit, keep the area around the fireplace clear from any decorations and flammable materials.  Take a lesson from the girls on “Friends” and never burn garbage, newspapers, charcoal, or plastic in a fireplace (or trashcan).  For outdoor fires, keep your pit at least 10 feet away from any structures. Always keep an extinguisher nearby any flame in case things get out of control.

Who’s Watching the Kids?

If you’ve hired a babysitter for the night, be sure they are CPR certified and comfortable responding in emergency situations.  The American Red Cross offers courses in babysitter’s training designed for 11-15-year-olds and First Aid/CRP/AED classes for everyone. 

Whatever your plans are this Valentine’s Day, remember these important safety tips.  Nothing ruins a romantic evening quite like having to call 9-1-1. For more information on health and safety tips, or to enroll in a First Aid course, visit www.redcross.org/dfw

**This story originally posted on 2/14/13**

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Piper, My Hero

by Carmen Wright, volunteer contributor

Right now I am 4,948 miles away from my dog. On a regular basis, we are usually only a few rooms away, and at night she is usually crowding me out of my spot on the bed. Now that I am studying abroad in Belgium, I feel her absence all the time--I miss her furriness, her floppy ears and her expressive eyes.

At times like these, I wish I had my childhood collection of stuffed animals surrounding me. When I was younger, their furriness brought me comfort and their happy expressions cheered me whenever I felt sad, much like my dog brings me happiness when she’s snoring beside me. As an adult, it seems strange that a toy could have ever become so important that I couldn’t go anywhere without it. But anyone who has had a favorite stuffed animal knows how great it is to hold something warm and soft when you feel alone. Plush animals are the heroes of our childhood--they just seem to make every situation better.

And of all the plush animals out there, Piper the Puppy is probably one of the best. As a dog-lover, I can’t help but find his expression adorable and inviting, and as a Red Cross volunteer, I can see how his floppy, mismatched ears can help cheer children in emergencies. On a dark night when when their home is being engulfed in flames and they feel confused, children can hold onto Piper for comfort. And even when the worse they face is a dark room at bedtime, they can know that Piper has been there for them in every situation.

So on this Plush-Animal Lovers Day, recall your favorite stuffed-animal and consider granting a child a new best friend and a hero in an emergency by sponsoring Piper the Puppy. Find out more at RedCross.org

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Inside a Red Cross Response to a Dallas Apartment Fire

By Kay Pinkerton, volunteer contributor

A tenant’s burning candles led to a predawn blaze Saturday, April 12, at the Mayan Palms apartment complex located in Southeast Dallas.  The four-alarm fire consumed 36 apartments, destroying the homes and possessions of more than 50 tenants.

Thankfully, no deaths were reported. 

The American Red Cross was on the scene, offering blankets, safe shelter and emotional support to the fire victims.

A Mayan Palms tenant wrapped herself in a Red Cross blanket after escaping the flames that ripped through her apartment.  Her relative, Virginia Reyez, later searched for the woman’s belongings in the tangled debris of wood, glass and metal -- all that remained of the apartment.  Reyez used the same Red Cross blanket to wrap and protect a surprising find.    

The woman’s jewelry box.

“It’s one of the most valuable things she owns now,” said Reyez.

 Being Grateful

The Red Cross opened a shelter at Samuel Grand Recreation Center after the fire was contained.  There, Red Cross volunteers provided information, support and a listening ear to fire victims who had lost their homes. 

Inside the shelter, Minnie Sessions sat in a row of chairs next to her son and his wife.

"I was asleep, woke up and smelled smoke. And I said, 'I know I ain't cooked,'" recalled Minnie.
­­­
She walked into the living room of her apartment. "I went in there and seen all that smoke," she said. "I grabbed a tub of clothes and drug them out with me."

Minnie's son, Freddie Sessions, admitted he felt overwhelmed by the day’s events. Still, he was grateful for his mother’s life, and appreciated the help and support she had received.

"She didn't have a jacket, and someone gave my mother a jacket,” he said. "There are good people out there.  To see them come out, you know, and help her. To be there for her.”

“I'm very grateful for the Red Cross organization,” said Sessions.

Helping Your Neighbor

Back at the scene of the fire, a young apartment resident surveyed the damage while recalling that morning’s frightening events. 

“I hear all this, this screaming.  ‘Fire!’  I woke my baby up, and we went outside,” said the woman.  “I saw a guy get one person out.  They had to break the fence down to get him out because he was on a cane.”

The woman was saddened by the devastating loss.  

“My apartment’s okay,” she said.  “But our friends?  Our close neighbors are going through this.  And there’s nothing we can do.”

At the Red Cross, there is something we can do. 

Red Cross disaster relief helps victims get back on their feet and resume their lives as quickly as possible. The organization also supports emergency workers, links family members outside the disaster area, and provides blood and blood products to disaster victims. 

For more information about the Red Cross and its services, or to learn how you can help, visit www.redcross.org/dfw.

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A Message From CEO T.D. Smyers: North Texans Helping Our Neighbors After Tornado Outbreak

by T.D. Smyers, CEO, American Red Cross North Texas Region

T.D. Smyers

In the past week, thousands of people were affected by the tornadoes and floods that caused heartbreaking devastation to neighborhoods and communities across the south. Our own Gail McGovern went to see the Red Cross response in Arkansas and wrote this first-hand account. As these storms were touching down, I was glued to my TV and Twitter monitoring the weather situation. We dodged a bullet in North Texas. Had those storms developed only a few hours sooner, they might have put us in the same situation, requiring Red Cross help from other states. 

In fact, it was only about a year ago that we were reeling from such an event. Fresh off of the West, TX fertilizer plant explosion, we responded to fatal storms in Hood, Johnson and Parker Counties. With this latest response, our newest capability, the North Texas Region Digital Operations Center, has been a tremendous asset in helping us connect those in need with resources available at the Red Cross. Of course, it's not only technology that North Texans are wielding help. We've deployed more than 40 volunteer disaster responders to the affected areas, along with a fleet of Emergency Response Vehicles.

A Fort Worth Emergency Response Vehicle
provides support to people affected by tornadoes in Arkansas

We can't do any of this without your support, which brings comfort and hope to people when they need it most. As you saw with the tornado threat in Dallas just yesterday, a disaster can happen at any time and when it does, we'll be in need of the same kind of help that we're now providing to our neighbors. Help people affected by disasters big and small, give to disaster relief.

Our sincerest thanks for your support.

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Red Cross Offers Flood Safety Tips

With a widespread rain event possible in the North Texas area, the American Red Cross is urging families to take precautions now, and offers important safety tips in the event of flash flooding.

• Charge laptops, cell phones, tablets and other electronics in order to get information before, during and after disasters.
• Pack a disaster supplies kit with working flashlights, extra batteries, bottled water, first aid supplies, etc. Click here for a list of items to pack in a supplies kit.
• Listen to area radio and television stations and a NOAA Weather Radio for possible flash flood warnings and reports of flooding in progress or other critical information from the National Weather Service (NWS)
• Be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
• When a flash flood warning is issued for your area, head for higher ground and stay there.
• Stay away from floodwaters. If you come upon a flowing stream where water is above your ankles, stop, turn around and go another way. Six inches of swiftly moving water can sweep you off of your feet.
• If you come upon a flooded road while driving, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. Most cars can be swept away by less than two feet of moving water.
• Keep children out of the water. They are curious and often lack judgment about running water or contaminated water.
• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood danger.
• Bookmark www.redcross.org to learn about shelter locations and other important information.

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Red Cross Salutes North Texas Tornado Relief Supporters

by Amy Yen, Digital Communications Manager, American Red Cross North Texas Region

As we continue relief efforts in Granbury and Cleburne after the deadly tornado outbreak last week, we wanted to take a moment to thank all of our corporate supporters who we work closely with to meet specific needs for our relief effort--from providing lunch to our volunteer team who worked through the night after the tornadoes hit to providing sunscreen for residents who are sifting through the debris trying to salvage belongings.

HEB donated $30,000 worth of gift cards to residents
so they could purchase food & supplies.

TXU provided work gloves & flashlights for
residents as they begin the clean-up effort.

Blue Bell brought ice cream to our disaster operation
headquarters, giving a break to our hard-working
disaster workers!

Thanks so much to all of these supporters:

HEB
TXU
Mary Kay
Dr Pepper Snapple
Nestle
Kroger
VSP
Taco Bueno
7 Eleven
BJ's 
Potbelly's
God's Hand Ups
Blue Bell Ice Cream

Your support is so important to our efforts. We're lucky to have supporters like you.

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The Soul of a City: An Account from West, Texas

by Anita Foster, Chief Communications Officer, American Red Cross North Texas Region

As a Red Cross worker often on the front lines of major disasters, people ask me all the time how I can drop everything—friends, family, my local job—and race to a disaster scene. It’s not a hard question to answer because I know that our call to action means that families need our help. On April 17, the call came to head to West, Texas after a fertilizer plant exploded. What no one has ever asked me is though, is how I can leave a disaster scene a couple of weeks later while people are still suffering.

As I wrap up my fourteenth and final day on the assignment in this Czech community we have come to affectionately call West “Comma” Texas, I am weepy. I weep for a city that will never be the same; for 15 families who, 14 days later, are still laying their loved ones to rest. I weep for the emergency response community who lost 12 firefighters in one fell swoop, two of them brothers. 

West lost seven of their heroes. Two more died from a neighboring small town called Abbott, two civilians were honored as firefighters because they jumped in to help put out the fire and one loss was from the area I serve every day in Dallas, Texas. 

Words cannot describe the enormity of the grief that these towns are experiencing.

Through my tears though, I’m also comforted by the kindness of this community and the sheer determination, dignity and fragility they have exhibited in the face of this unspeakable tragedy. I have learned a great deal about the soul of a city in the past two weeks and I have to say that West, Texas has a beautiful soul. 

The mayor’s home was destroyed, but he rallied his town to begin their recovery. The city secretary, responsible for getting important information to the town through their website, was also a volunteer firefighter and died in the explosion. In spite of this, the city found a way to keep information flowing to their residents. Mark Felton with the Red Cross in Waco has coordinated our services every day, around the clock. The county judge, city council members, heads of business and many others are present in the town every day taking care of their residents. And the residents are taking care of each other. 

I love it when my phone rings off the hook after something like this because I know people are calling to find out how to best help the people suffering. And help for West came by the masses. I knew early on that the community would have their physical needs taken care of, but I did worry about how they would cope with the trauma. 

So many times, we focus on the death toll—how many died in this or that disaster, but we don’t as seriously consider the number of lives that are forever changed when one third of a town is destroyed. There were more than 200 people transported to area hospitals, many still there with grave injuries requiring long-term care and rehabilitation. Others will have the images of the explosion and the gruesome aftermath in their minds for years. Everyone will grieve the loss of so many of their friends and neighbors. It’s overwhelming to think about. But with a new understanding of this place at Exit 353 off of Interstate 35, I am comforted that the people of West, Texas, will take care of their friends and neighbors for as long as it takes. That’s the soul of this city. 

As I prepare to leave West “Comma” Texas, I say this to the community: It is hard to leave because I know I’m leaving a piece of my soul behind. But I won’t be gone forever. The next time I’m making my way south down I-35, I’ll take Exit 353 and hang a left to the best kolaches in the entire world, followed by the Poopsie at the Czech pizza place. I’ll ask how the recovery is coming and how your people are healing, physically and emotionally. I’ll tell you every time what an honor it was to be here to serve with the Red Cross and with my best Czech accent, I’ll say dekuji (“thanks”) for showing me your soul. 

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Lessons in Severe Weather Planning

by Kristen Kerr, volunteer contributor

It's National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, so it's a great time to be thinking about what you should be doing to prepare for bad weather. In fact, that was the point of our big multi-state disaster drill this weekend: to prepare when the sky is blue for when it isn't.

As a native Texan (born and raised), I have been through the tornadoes, droughts, floods, severe thunderstorms, wildfires and heat waves. Over the years, I learned a thing or two about how to prepare not only myself, but also my family, for severe weather. 

During the tornadoes that ripped through Fort Worth in 2000, I was home by myself. I was about 11 years old and I was trying to stay safe (and alive). I had my dad’s weather radio turned on and since it runs on batteries, it was perfect, because if the electricity went out, it would still function. The radio kept me informed on the storm’s progress. Later, I went into our downstairs closet and made sure it was clear of anything heavy or harmful that could hurt me during the storm. I also took a blanket and flashlight with me so that I could stay warm and see (just in case we lost electricity). 

That was really all that I knew how to do at the time since I was just a child, and shortly after that, my parents bought me a cell phone in case of emergencies like that one. 

Prepare an emergency kit in case of severe weather.
Or, you can get one from RedCrossStore.org!

Since then, I began an internship with the American Red Cross, and I have learned quite a bit more in regards to staying safe during severe weather. 

In fact, there is a 3-step plan that everyone should put into action when severe weather threatens:

1. Get a kit. A kit can be as simple as a plastic tub. The kit should contain bottled water, canned foods, cereal bars, flashlights, batteries, weather radios, first aid kits, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, medicine and copies of important documents.
2. Make a plan. It is important to have a plan of action prepared because when any severe weather warning is issued it is easy to get overwhelmed, scared and confused. If you have a plan, all you need to do is follow it. You don’t need to worry about trying to think of where to go and how to get there. It’s already done!
3. Be prepared. It’s a great idea to have your kit pre-made and stored somewhere with easy accessibility. Also do a trial run if your action plan with your family, so that when you severe weather hits, you know what to do!

When I was a little girl, being alone during the tornadoes felt like a bad dream because I didn’t know what was going on outside and how bad it really was! However, in today’s ever changing technological world, it no longer has to feel that way! I was excited to learn that the American Red Cross has launched their new tornado app that includes a high-pitched siren and alerts for when a tornado warning has been issued in your area and later signals an “all clear” alert so that users know when a warning has expired or been cancelled. I know if this app would have been around during the 2000 tornadoes, I would have felt a lot safer and smarter! 

You can feel safer and smarter too. Download the new app for free at RedCross.org. Stay safe this spring season!

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Highlights From Our 2013 Multi-State Disaster Drill

by Amy Yen, Digital Communications Manager, American Red Cross
Our big multi-state disaster drill last weekend was a big success! More than 700 Red Cross volunteers in more than 40 chapters across Texas and Oklahoma participated in the exercise, designed to test volunteers on their ability to respond to a simulated tornado outbreak. It's also National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, so the readiness exercise was especially appropriate.

Volunteers were not only conducted disaster assessment of property damage, but also encountered residents who were panicked, angry or even hurt and bleeding. For example, one scenario involved a man who had cut himself severely while moving debris (see the video above). Volunteers performed first aid on the scene and called for an ambulance. Don't worry--the residents were all actors, helping with our simulation. 

Our amazing volunteer photographers from all over the two states sent in images from the drill. Check them out here:

Thanks again to all of our wonderful volunteers and staffers who helped make our drill such a big success by getting us more prepared for when a real disaster strikes!

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Ready, Set, DRILL! Red Crossers in 40 Texas & Oklahoma Chapters Get Ready for Multi-State Disaster Drill This Saturday

by Amy Yen, Digital Communications Manager, American Red Cross

Red Crossers across Texas & Oklahoma will
hit the streets in a simulated disaster drill
this weekend

They say practice makes perfect, which is why this weekend, more than 700 volunteers in more than 40 Red Cross chapters across Texas & Oklahoma will be teaming up for our first-ever multi-state disaster drill. In this exercise, volunteers will hit the streets to perform disaster assessment in a simulated devastating tornado outbreak.

In each of the participating chapters, volunteers will be deployed to pre-selected neighborhoods, where they will find a visual of a home that has been impacted. They will have to determine the type of damage and then relay that information back to Red Cross. 

In a real disaster, getting an accurate assessment of impacted homes as quickly as possible is crucial to the disaster relief process. It directs us on everything from how many meals need to be prepared to how many shovels we need to have on hand.

In the Dallas area, volunteers will report to the American Red Cross, 4800 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas Texas 75235 at 8:15a.m. on Saturday, March 2, participate in a briefing, and then hit the neighborhoods by 9:30a.m. The drill is expected to last until noon, followed by an after-action review from 12:00p.m-2:00p.m. 

In North Texas, wildfires, severe storms, tornados and other disasters are certainly common occurrences. That’s why drills like these are so important: so we can be prepared to help when we’re needed the most.

For information on becoming a trained Red Cross volunteer, go to RedCross.org/DFW. To follow the drill in real-time, follow @RedCrossDFW on Twitter and use hashtag #txokdrill

Here's a map of all of our participating chapters (click to view larger):

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