The American Red Cross of Northwest Illinois is opening a shelter tonight in Rockford to help local residents being evacuated due to flooding. This shelter is being opened primarily for residents of the Black Hawk Island neighborhood, which experienced significant flooding today. Red Cross volunteer responders have been working with the local community and will be available to provide shelter, food, water and comfort.
The Red Cross shelter will open tonight at 7:00 PM at the address below to provide resources to people affected by flooding:
Red Cross responders are currently in the affected communities working with residents to assess needs including lodging, food and mental health support. The Red Cross invites residents who have been displaced from their homes by the flooding to come to the shelter for comfort, support and a warm place to stay.
Download the free Red Cross Flood App: The Red Cross Flood App provides people with real time flood alert warnings and steps deal with flooding before, during and after an event. Users can enter location information of loved ones across the country to monitor the flooding situation in any area
Download the free Red Cross Emergency App: The Red Cross Emergency App provides people with instant access to emergency alerts and life-saving information. Available for smart phones and tablets, it includes content on what to do before, during and after a variety of severe weather events. Users can customize more than 35 emergency weather alerts based on their location and where loved ones live.
FLOOD SAFETY AND CLEANUP: The Red Cross has steps for someone to follow if their community is affected by flooding:
· Be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice, have an emergency response kit
· If a flood or flash flood warning is issued for someone’s area, they should head for higher ground and stay there.
· People should stay away from floodwaters. If someone comes across an area where water is above their ankles, they should stop, turn around and go another way. If they encounter a flooded road while driving, they should also turn around and go another way. If the car is caught in rising water, they should get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground.
· It is important to be especially cautious at night when it is harder to see flood dangers.
· Children are curious and should be kept out of the water.
· Continue listening to local radio or television stations or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated information and instructions. If you are away from home, return only when authorities say it is safe to do so.
· Before entering your home, look outside for loose power lines, damaged gas lines, foundation cracks or other damages.
· If you smell natural or propane gas or hear a hissing noise, leave immediately and call the fire department.
· If power lines are down outside your home, do not step in puddles or standing water.
· Make sure your food and water are safe. Discard items that have come in contact with floodwater. When in doubt, throw it out!
· When it is safe to return home, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy shoes when examining your walls, doors, staircases and windows for damage.
· During cleanup, wear protective clothing, including rubber gloves and rubber boots.
HOW TO HELP: The Red Cross depends on financial donations to provide immediate disaster relief. Help people affected by severe storms by visiting redcross.org or calling 1- 800-RED CROSS. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from these disasters.
About the American Red Cross of Northwest Illinois:
The American Red Cross of Northwest Illinois serves 700,000 people in 10 counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at www.redcross.org/Il/Rockford or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross
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