Tag Archive - American Red Cross

Quickstart to Disaster Readiness

January 31, 2011 in Disaster Preparedness with 0 Comments

Life or death issues are sometimes made during disasters. The more you know and the better prepared you are, the smarter decisions you will make.  Different disasters require different knowledge sets.

Thanks to Greg Waite of Evansville’s American Red Cross for providing info for this blog. Thanks also to Dwayne Caldwell of the Vanderburgh County Health Department, who gave a survival workshop for Vanderburgh 4-H members, when I first learned of chemical threats and how to react.

Disaster Kits: have a 3 day food/disaster supply you can grab and go and have a 2-week supply if you stay in place.

  • Red Cross – How to Build a Disaster Kit
  • Ready.gov – Disaster Kit Checklist
  • Note on lists items besides food & water – include cash and prescription copies.

Disaster Plans:

Stay Informed:

  • Keep a weather radio good to go.
  • If you live in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, know your sirens. The Friday noon siren is the tone for severe weather. If you hear an undulating siren instead, going up and down, that is an alert for a chemical/biological disaster. Know the difference and how to respond. The responses for severe storms or chemical threats are in many ways opposite. If you choose the wrong response, the result could be fatal. If you live in another area, ask them how they broadcast chemical alerts.
  • Follow #Tristatewx on Twitter.

See specific disaster preparedness links below:

Evansville Red Cross site download links:

Vanderburgh County Health Department Emergency Links:

Ready.Gov Links: (be sure to read the chemical threat and shelter in place sheets):

  • Biological Threat
  • Chemical Threat
  • Shelter in Place during a Chemical Threat
  • Winter Storms and Extreme Cold

The good news is we have information on how to respond to different scenarios. Knowledge is power.

When you prepare and plan, it’s easier to respond appropriately.