by Isabel Anderson

This Oregon fire season is in full swing.  As of July 25, more than 945,000 acres have burned and it’s not slowing down any time soon.  This is part of a nationwide trend where natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense. In 2023, an estimated 2.5 million were forced from their homes by weather-related disasters— with more than a third displaced for longer than a month.

It can be easy to think a wildfire won’t happen in your backyard, but when disaster strikes, anyone can be affected.  Wildfire does not discriminate. 

Marc Berry (pictured above) was a Red Cross volunteer for 15 years. He staffed shelters during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But it was a different story when the Microwave Tower Fire hit his hometown, Mosier City, and he was told he would have to evacuate his home. With such short notice and little preparation, he came to a place he knew would be safe and would take good care of him: a Red Cross shelter. 

“You don’t get much time to plan, you don’t get much time to forecast, and I knew that the Red Cross knew what it’s doing.  They can take people who have pretty much nothing but the clothes on their back and make them feel welcome” 

After spending two nights in the shelter while waiting out the fire and power outage across Mosier, Marc has found a new understanding of the impact his years as a volunteer have had on others.  

Marc wasn’t expecting to become an evacuee in a Red Cross shelter even after spending years helping so many others in similar situations.  But he did know that disaster can bring the unexpected. For that reason, it’s important to be ready for anything and that starts with making your household a go bag.  

BUILDING YOUR EMERGENCY GO BAG

Keep your supplies in an easy-to-carry emergency preparedness kit that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate. At a minimum, you should have the basic supplies listed below: 

• Water: one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation) 
• Food: non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation). 
• Flashlight  
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio  
• Extra batteries  
• First aid kit 
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items 
• Multi-purpose tool 
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items 
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies) 
• Cell phone with chargers 
• Family and emergency contact information 
• Extra cash 
• Blankets 
• Map(s) of the area 

Consider the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit: 

• Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, etc.) 
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers) 
• Games and activities for children 
• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl) 
• Two-way radios 
• Extra set of car keys and house keys 
• Manual can opener 

For more information on how to build your kit, visit this preparedness information on our web site.