Red Cross Supports National Severe Weather Awareness Week

EASTERN NC, February 28, 2013 — National Severe Storm Preparedness Week is an opportunity for the American Red Cross to urge everyone to Be a Force of Nature and know what actions you should take if severe weather threatens your community.

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week – March 3-9 – is a time set aside by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) to emphasize the need for individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits to get prepared and know what to do before severe weather strikes.

This year, North Carolina’s annual Severe Weather Awareness Week corresponds with the National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. North Carolina’s Severe Weather Awareness Week is an effort to increase awareness of severe weather and to motivate individuals, families, businesses, and communities to take actions that will prepare them in the event of severe weather.

North Carolina’s annual statewide tornado drill for 2013 will take place on Wednesday, March 6, at 9:30 AM EST. Every school, business, work place, and family across the state is strongly encouraged to participate in the statewide tornado drill.

During the past year, North Carolina experienced 21 tornadoes and 1200 incidents of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds or large hail. This resulted in 6 fatalities, more than 50 injuries, and over 25 million dollars in damages across the state. Severe weather knows no boundaries and affects every individual.

As part of Severe Weather Preparedness week, the American Red Cross is encouraging people to Be Red Cross Ready. There are three actions everyone can take that can help make a difference: Get a kit, make a plan and be informed.

Be Red Cross Ready Checklist:

• I know what emergencies or disasters are most likely to occur in my community.
• I have a family disaster plan and have practiced it.
• I have an emergency preparedness kit.
• At least one member of my household is trained in first aid and CPR/AED.
• I have taken action to help my community prepare.

The Red Cross has several programs to help people, businesses, schools and communities be better prepared.

• American Red Cross Preparedness App for iPhone or Android smart phones helps people create a plan, share it with household members and over social networks. Be on the lookout for a new preparedness app that will debut next week.
• A Family Disaster Plan Template is available at www.redcross.org.
• Be Red Cross Ready is an online tutorial that teaches people to be ready for emergencies.
• Red Cross Ready Rating™ is a free, web-based membership program that measures how ready businesses, organizations and schools are to deal with emergencies and helps them improve their readiness level.
• The Ready When the Time Comes program trains employees from businesses so they can be used as a community-based volunteer force when disaster strikes.
• Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED training courses provide participants with the knowledge and skills to respond to emergencies in case advanced medical help is delayed.

People can visit redcross.org for information on what to do before, during and after emergencies and disasters. Trained Red Cross employees and volunteers are also available to make a presentation to your school, community group or business. To request a Red Cross representative for your organization, please contact your local chapter.

About the American Red Cross:

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 redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.