As hurricane season ramps up with Hurricane Dorian, the American Red Cross is helping families in the Carolinas get prepared. Here are some tips for you and your family.
- Build a kit – Build an easy-to-carry emergency preparedness kit that you can use at home or take with you if you have to evacuate. Include items such as water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and extra batteries, a battery-powered radio, first aid kit and medications.
- Make a plan – Talk with members of your household about what to do during emergencies. Plan what to do in case everyone is separated and choose two places to meet—one right outside the home in case of a sudden emergency such as a fire, and another outside the neighborhood, in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate.
- Be informed – Know what kinds of emergency situations may occur where you live, where you work, and where you go to school. Get trained in First Aid and CPR/AED so you’ll know what to do in an emergency if help is delayed. Don’t forget your pets, plan for them too.
DOWNLOAD RED CROSS APPS: Download the Red Cross apps below for free by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in your app store or visiting redcross.org/apps.
- The Red Cross Emergency App can help keep you and your loved ones safe by putting vital information in your hand for more than 35 customizable severe weather and emergency alerts. Content on what to do before, during and after emergencies from power outages to home fires, to hurricanes and tornadoes, can be viewed in English or Spanish.
- Parents can download the Monster Guard: Prepare for Emergencies App so 7- to 11-year-olds will have a free, fun, gaming environment to learn how to prevent emergencies like home fires, and how to stay safe if severe weather or natural disasters occur.
- The Red Cross First Aid App provides instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies.
ASK ALEXA Getting life-saving information is easier than ever. Just ask ‘Alexa.’ People can enable Red Cross skills for Alexa to receive notifications about an approaching hurricane, get valuable first aid information and schedule a blood donation. Details are available at redcross.org/alexa-skills.
