{"id":14387,"date":"2018-10-09T19:22:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-10T02:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyovation.com\/?p=14387"},"modified":"2018-10-09T19:22:36","modified_gmt":"2018-10-10T02:22:36","slug":"monstrous-hurricane-michael-red-cross-prepares-help-thousands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyovation.com\/2018\/10\/09\/monstrous-hurricane-michael-red-cross-prepares-help-thousands\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Monstrous’ Hurricane Michael: Red Cross Prepares to Help Thousands"},"content":{"rendered":"
Reportedly ‘Monstrous’ Hurricane Michael<\/strong>\u00a0was created off the coast of Cuba on Monday and gathered strength as it steamed north toward the Florida’s<\/strong>\u00a0Panhandle, where it was expected to strike as a major storm by Wednesday.<\/p>\n As the second major hurricane in just weeks<\/strong> is set to hit the southeast, the American Red Cross<\/strong> is preparing to help tens of thousands of people in the path of Hurricane Michael<\/strong>, even while continuing efforts in the Carolinas for families still trying to recover from Hurricane Florence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Michael is predicted to be life-threatening<\/strong>, and is expected to hit parts of\u00a0Florida\u00a0<\/span>Wednesday with strong winds, devastating flooding and storm surge as high as 12 feet in some places. The storm is still strengthening with winds already close to 110 mph. Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate, and governors in\u00a0Florida\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0Alabama<\/span>\u00a0have already declared states of emergency.<\/p>\n “We urge people to take this dangerous hurricane very seriously<\/strong> and make their final storm preparations now,” said\u00a0Brad Kieserman<\/span>, Vice President of Disaster Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross<\/strong>. “The Red Cross is working closely with state and local authorities in\u00a0Florida<\/span>,\u00a0Alabama<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0Georgia<\/span>\u00a0to support evacuation centers for as many as 30,000 people who may need a safe place to stay during the storm.”<\/p>\n Evacuation centers are meant to safely house people for about 72 hours until the storm passes and weather conditions improve, and it should be noted that some of these centers may not have cots, food, running water or electricity. In time, and if needed, local government officials may transition evacuation centers into emergency shelters if residents can’t return home after the storm passes. The Red Cross supports both pre-landfall evacuation centers and post-landfall emergency shelters with trained workers, shelter supplies and other aid.\u00a0Anyone coming to an evacuation center should bring items like blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, and items for children.<\/p>\n In advance of Hurricane Michael, the Red Cross is mobilizing trained volunteers, shelter supplies and other equipment, preparing to provide shelter for tens of thousands of people until they can return home or find other places to stay. The Red Cross is also seeking to partner with organizations that can support the temporary placement of household pets; please regularly check media to best understand where those facilities are located.<\/p>\n HURRICANE FLORENCE RESPONSE CONTINUES\u00a0<\/b>Meanwhile, more than 2,700 trained Red Cross disaster workers are on the ground in\u00a0North Carolina<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0South Carolina<\/span>, continuing to provide food, shelter and other relief services to people impacted by Hurricane Florence. On Monday night, more than 560 people were still in 12 shelters, primarily in\u00a0North Carolina<\/span>. To date, the Red Cross and partners have served more than 1.53 million meals and snacks, and distributed more than 300,700 relief items throughout the affected areas.<\/p>\n HURRICANE<\/u><\/b>\u00a0SAFETY STEPS<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n Find a shelter by visiting\u00a0redcross.org<\/a>\u00a0or by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency App. The Emergency App also puts real-time information about the storm and hurricane safety tips at your fingertips. The app is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to\u00a0redcross.org\/apps.<\/a>\u00a0Get tips on how to prepare and stay safe at\u00a0redcross.org\/hurricane<\/a>.<\/p>\n HOW YOU CAN HELP<\/b><\/a>\u00a0The Red Cross depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. Help people affected by storms and countless other crises by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a\u00a0$10<\/span>\u00a0donation.\u00a0Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
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