00:00 Hurricane season begins June 1st on Saturday and national spokesperson Stephanie Fox joins us to discuss preparedness
00:06 Stephanie the Red Cross has been responding to non-stop disasters this spring as communities saw devastation from tornadoes flooding wind and hail
00:15 How are you guys balancing those responses while also getting ready for hurricane season?
00:20 Yeah, it's really crazy to think we had tornadoes across the state of Louisiana and Texas just last night and then tomorrow is the official
00:28 Start of hurricane season. So it has been an
00:31 Insane season to say the least so many folks have lost
00:35 Their belongings their loved ones their livelihoods
00:39 So it should have been truly devastating for those who have been impacted for so many weeks back-to-back
00:44 But the work of the Red Cross never stops. We have been on the ground
00:48 Non-stop to ensure that these folks are being supported
00:51 They're getting the comfort and care the shelter the food the water the support that they need in order to
00:58 Navigate their initial relief navigate their long-term recovery and get everybody ready for what's next
01:04 And while everyone else is getting ready, what do you guys do? What does preparing for hurricane season look like for the Red Cross?
01:11 Preparedness is really a constant thing for us
01:15 We are active in every community across the United States in some form or fashion
01:21 Ensuring that we are coordinating with our local officials
01:24 We have tons of volunteers where 90% volunteer run organization
01:28 We are ensuring we have enough supplies to respond and that there were placing those supplies in
01:33 Central locations which can get to areas that may be most vulnerable or maybe most impacted by a disaster
01:40 Whatever that disaster may be and we're looking at these vulnerable communities to get in there in advance to ensure that we are
01:47 Working with those hyper local communities who are really taking the lead
01:51 We are there to support to ensure from food to hunger to housing that we're trying to really fight things
01:58 From the ground up to ensure that long before a disaster hits they have the resources to be able to recover
02:04 And for people who maybe had to use the hurricane kit last year need to restock or maybe anyone who's new to a hurricane prone
02:12 Area, what can you tell them and what should hurricane season prep look like for them?
02:17 You really need to build two kits one that can sustain your family for about two weeks if you have to evacuate your home
02:23 or really two weeks if you're going to be stuck in your home because
02:27 Grocery stores and and different things in your community may be impacted that should include things like water food copies of important documents
02:36 Cash money people don't think about that a lot. But if there's no power if there's also no ATMs
02:41 You can't use your debit card anywhere
02:43 Extra prescription medication as well and assets and items for those members of your family that may need things that are a little bit more
02:50 Specific so your children those who may have disabilities the elderly just those mobile normal folks
02:55 And then you want to have a kit that is pretty much a go kit something you can grab and go if you need to
03:01 Leave your home can sustain your family for about three days. It has all of those items as well
03:05 So what are some of those?
03:08 Essential items in a hurricane kit. I guess sometimes the trouble I have is they may be things I need right now
03:15 How would you suggest people kind of divvying it up to make sure there's things that they're prepared for?
03:19 But what if they need to also use it currently?
03:21 Now the great part about building an emergency preparedness kit is it doesn't have to be complicated
03:27 It doesn't have to be expensive either
03:29 As you said a lot of the items are things that you're going to use on the daily that you may already have in your
03:33 Home, so take a couple snacks here and there put them in your kit
03:36 Take water bottles that you may already have in your home fill them up with water
03:39 Refresh that water every couple of weeks just to make sure it tastes good and it's nice and fresh
03:44 Take some of those band-aids that you may have
03:46 Some of those wound care items and put it into a bag so you can create your own first-aid kit
03:53 You don't have to go out and buy an extravagant kit
03:56 Of course if you would like to they are available across the market at local retailers
04:00 But you can really build it slow and steady as long as you ensure that that kit is built in advance of
04:06 When that threat is heading towards your community
04:08 National Media Relations lead for the American Red Cross Stephanie Fox
04:13 Thank you so much for joining us again here on AccuWeather Early and I'm sure I'll be checking in during this hurricane season
Comments