By Cameron Illig, American Red Cross Volunteer
Many young adults have left their homes for the first time to take on college and make a new town their home. It is a time of independent growth through the trial of fire that is learning to live with yourself, or for some, living with roommates.
One thing that should not change is how college students prepare for emergencies. But in a new environment, it can be difficult to know what to be prepared for. The American Red Cross hopes to put parents’ minds at ease and help students be better prepared for weather-related emergencies and disasters that Mother Nature may bring.
The free Red Cross Emergency App and a Red Cross Emergency Kit are two of the tools the Red Cross has available to help. These are useful to all, but can be particularly helpful for people in an unfamiliar environment. The Red Cross wants to help students learn about the disasters that can occur in their new location and how to be better prepared for them. Teaching can be a crucial part of aiding the populace.
Marcos Vivot, a University of Florida senior, says his mother wanted him to be prepared for anything when he went off to college.
“I had extra water, food, and a foldable ladder if I needed to escape through my window,” he said.
Being prepared is the best position to be in when facing a disaster and having an Emergency Kit is a great place for college students to start. You can easily build your kit or the Red Cross has an emergency kit which can be purchased. One is a 75-piece kit in a backpack that includes items like a reflective emergency blanket, first aid kit, wind-up flashlight/portable phone charger, emergency water pouches, food bars, multi-tool pliers, as well as a mesh bag containing personal care items. The equipment in the backpack can help sustain a person sheltering in place for several days, as well as provide useful tools to garner attention from any passing rescue teams should they be trapped. The easy-to-store emergency kit can be placed anywhere in your living area and is the perfect size for a dorm room.
Hurricanes are a yearly stressor that many living along the shoreline worry about like Timmy Dwyer, a Senior at the University of Florida, who is originally from Livingston, New Jersey.
“Well, after Superstorm Sandy, it became much more apparent to be prepared for things like that even though they don’t happen too often. Which has made the transition from New Jersey to Florida a bit easier,” said Dwyer. “People I knew did not have power for almost six days and some longer.”
The Red Cross also wants to help before a disaster occurs by informing when certain disasters such as a hurricane are likely to happen and how to deal with multiple emergencies with their free to download Red Cross’ Emergency app. With the app you can track the weather of your current location or wherever you have family in America. This can be very reassuring for anyone attending a university across the country.
The Prepare tab in the app gives you information on emergencies from chemical emergencies in the home all the way to earthquakes and volcanoes. You can quiz your knowledge on emergency preparedness by taking a quiz and take courses on first aid, CPR, and AED training. There are multiple interactive ways to learn about emergency preparedness on the app no matter your location.
Last year, extreme weather events created the greatest number of billion-dollar disasters to strike the U.S. in a single year. Compounded by the pandemic, disasters took an enormous toll on families who spent more nights in emergency lodging in 2020 — more than 1.3 million — than any other year over the past decade.
GET READY NOW It only takes one storm to devastate a community. Follow these steps to help make sure your family is ready to either evacuate or hunker down if a storm threatens your neighborhood.
Create an evacuation plan. Plan what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and if you have to evacuate. If you already have an emergency plan, update it and review with family members so everyone knows what to do if an emergency occurs.
Build an emergency kit. Gather food, water, and medicine. Organize supplies into a Go-Kit and a Stay-at-Home Kit. Go-Kit: 3 days of supplies that you can carry with you. Include backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.) Your Stay-at-Home Kit: 2 weeks of supplies. Stores and pharmacies might be closed. Have a 1-month supply of medications in a child-proof container. Keep personal, financial, and medical records safe. If you already have a disaster kit, now is the time make sure the food and water is still okay to consume and that copies of important documents are up to date.
Be informed. Find out how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders.
Download the free Red Cross Emergency App to help keep you and your loved ones safe with real-time alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety advice on hurricanes and other emergencies.