By Saskia Lindsay
SOUTH CAROLINA, September 26, 2022– Hurricane Ian is predicted to bring hurricane and tropical storm conditions to the Southeast later this week and hit Florida as a major hurricane as early as today. South
Carolina has the potential to begin receiving tropical storm force winds across the state on Thursday night. Additional impacts, such as heavy rainfall, coastal flooding, and isolated tornado occurrences are also possible from Thursday night through Friday. The American Red Cross urges everyone in the region to make their storm preparations now.
The Red Cross is monitoring the situation closely and working with our partners to shelter and support people who could be impacted by this storm. In addition to our pre-positioned supplies, the Red Cross has disaster teams and more relief supplies on the way to the region to support people impacted by Ian. A disaster trained volunteer from the South Carolina Region of the American Red Cross has deployed to support ongoing preparedness efforts in Florida.
“Our job is to support the volunteers who are dealing with people impacted by Hurricane Ian. We will also
be setting up shelters in the event they are needed and preparing to feed anyone who needs food. We will use the day or two before the storm hits to get prepared to help people who are in our shelters, or otherwise need some help,” said Terry Barcelona, a Red Cross of South Carolina Upstate Chapter volunteer. Barcelona has deployed to Florida to serve as a Logistic Chief.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW
1. Get your home ready. Start finding a
place to store outside items such as lawn furniture and trash cans to prevent
them from being moved by high winds or rain.
2. Tune into your local radio, NOAA radio or news channels for the latest updates. Obey evacuation orders from local officials. Know the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means
conditions are likely and to stay alert — a warning means act now.
3. Build an emergency kit with a gallon of water per person, per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered radio, first aid kit, medications, supplies for an infant if applicable, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, extra cash, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information.
4. Keep insurance policies, documents, and other valuables in a safe-deposit box. You may need quick, easy access to these documents. Keep them in a safe place less likely to be damaged if a hurricane causes flooding. Take pictures on a phone and keep copies of important documents and files on a USB flash drive that you can carry with you on your keyring.
5. Prepare to evacuate quickly and know your routes and destinations.
6. Don’t forget your pets. Bring them indoors and maintain direct control of them. Prepare an emergency kit for your pets with leashes or carriers, food, water, bowls, cat litter and box, and photos of you with your
pet in case you are separated.
If someone already has 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. If they already have an emergency plan for their household, they should talk about it again with family members, so everyone knows what to do if an emergency occurs.
Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for
real-time alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety advice on hurricanes and other emergencies. Download the app by searching “American Red
Cross” in your app store or by going to redcross.org/apps.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org/SC or @RedCrossSC
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