Emergency Preparedness 19

As rain continues to fall on the already saturated ground throughout Southern Alberta this week, Red Cross staff and volunteers are providing relief to the many individuals and families impacted by rising rivers and wide-spread flooding. Red Crossers are in communities, mobilizing supplies such as cots, hygiene kits and blankets, assisting with a reception centre and shelter, and registering evacuees to ensure they receive the help they need. The effects of flooding can be devastating, but there are ways for individuals to help keep themselves safe.

As the Alberta Flood anniversary approaches, we at Red Cross are naturally focused on the work still ahead of us. That’s because we know hundreds of families are still struggling to recover.  Even now, people arrive at our offices with heartbreaking stories. Often, their financial credit is maxed out and they don’t know where else to turn. In the midst of this need, it can be tough to take time to recognize everything that’s already been accomplished during the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Flood response. But of course, that’s equally important. So today, Red Cross says a special thank you to all the staff and volunteers who work so hard to help others.

Slabs of fresh sod draw subtle lines along the High River field where Andrea Vasquez’s kids play soccer now. Just as the park shows few signs of last year’s devastating floods, Vasquez says her family also refuses to be defined by the disaster.

While we always talk about what should be in your disaster preparedness kit, we don’t often tell you what goes in ours. When we prepare for disasters we are not only preparing to ensure we can keep working should the worst happen, but also to help take care of those affected by disasters. We make sure that we have the basics: food, water, clothing, and other essential items that we can provide to those in need. We often have other administrative items as well, like: signs, pens, paper, rubber bands, pre-organized paper work and so on, to help us distribute aid in an organized manner.

The start of summer also means the start of hurricane season. From June to November, Atlantic Canada is at risk from these powerful storms. Most of the tropical storms and hurricanes that threaten the Canadian coastline typically arrive later in the season according to the Canadian Hurricane Centre. However, now is a good time to get informed about the risks, take steps to prepare and learn more about how these severe weather events can impact the Atlantic coast.

Should we follow animals’ leads when it comes to natural disasters? For centuries, people have argued that animals can predict natural disasters. Some experts believe animals may have a sixth sense allowing them to sense impending natural disasters long before we humans can.

Last week was Emergency Preparedness Week (May 4 – 10) and recent severe weather in the United States is a good example of disasters happening in an instant.

So now you’re prepared and have your emergency kit packed and stored somewhere easily accessible in times of disaster, but should that happen, what do you have in your kit to eat?