Hurricane Ike Survivors: Find Family & Friends

By: Joanne | September 16, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Did you evacuate to get out of the path of Hurricane Ike? Do you need to find friends or family who were displaced by Ike? If you answered yes to either of these questions, read on.

There are websites you can register with to help you connect with your loved ones to let them know that you’re safe and well after the storm. I’m going to give you links to a few registries – if you were displaced by the storm or if you’re looking for someone, I suggest you visit them all.

  • FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, operates the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System. 
  • The Red Cross operates the Safe and Well List. The Safe and Well List even lets you to post a message (from a list of standard messages) so you can give your loved ones a little more information. For those without internet access, call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) to register.
  • Next of Kin National Registry is a free tool for daily emergencies and national disasters. The system gives emergency response agencies the information they need to contact your loved ones if you’re ever missing, hurt badly or worse.
  • If you’re a tourist or other foreign national affected by a disaster in the U.S., contact your consulate.

And do remember that there are many ways that you can help the people impacted by Hurricane Ike by volunteering or donating. There are volunteer opportunities for kids, seniors, teens and groups and many reputable organizations you can support through donations to bring relief to hurricane survivors.

No matter what charity you chose to support, always be on the watch for identity theft and other scams and fraud schemes  that try to take advantage of your good will and desire to help those in need.

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Hurricanes & National Emergency Preparedness

By: Jake | September 01, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

I really hope you are having a happy Labor Day Weekend!

Unfortunately, many of you are riding out Hurricane Gustav or preparing for Tropical Storm Hanna. You can track the storms and check out government emergency information at USA.gov and Ready.gov. If there is any information you need that you don't see, please let me know in the comments and I'll try to find it for you.Hurricane Cloud

Those of you not in the storms' paths should think about how you might prepare for emergencies in your hometown. President Bush declared September National Preparedness Month in order to create a culture of emergency preparedness in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign sponsors the event and encourages all Americans to take four steps to prepare.

What have you already done to prepare for emergencies like the hurricane and other storms?

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Be Prepared for Hurricanes

By: Joanne | July 15, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

hurricane cloudLast week I wanted to talk about the sun, but this week I’ve got rain on my mind. Get out your umbrellas folks, because it’s hurricane season again. The tropical storms and hurricanes are already churning away out there in the ocean and sooner or later they’re going to hit land. Most of us think that hurricanes aren’t a threat, but the good people of New Orleans know how truly devastating these storms can be. Even if you live well inland, you need to be prepared for severe weather, because bad weather can strike anywhere.

The dangers of a hurricane or tropical storm come in a number of forms: storm surge, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding. If the big one heads your way this summer, it's important for your family and business to have a plan that covers all of these hazards.

The steps are really pretty simple:

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Stormy Weather

By: Nancy | April 10, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

April showers may bring May flowers, but this year, they're bringing some pretty substantial storm damage with them, too.

Friends in Jackson, Mississippi told me that they've been without power for days and that their part of town looks worse than it did when Hurricane Katrina came through three years ago. Right now, the story's similar throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

car in rainRain, drought, tornadoes or other natural disasters—no matter where you live, extreme weather is almost inevitable. A little preparation though, can get you ready to endure those tough weather conditions.

One of the best ways to prepare for a disaster is to assemble a supply kit with the food, medications, tools and other things you use on a regular basis and special items that you might need in an emergency. When I first decided to put a kit together a couple years ago, it felt a little overwhelming to assemble it all at once. So I added a few items at a time to my weekly shopping list. As I put my groceries away each week, I dropped the emergency supplies into my box and it wasn't too long until I checked off all the items on the list and had a full box of supplies. About every six months, I rummage through the box and replace food and water before it expires so everything will be safe to eat or drink when I need it.

USA.gov's severe weather section features links to information to help you get ready for and to recover from specific weather events like hurricanes and floods; extreme heat and drought; tornadoes and earthquakes; fires and winter storms.

And for my friends in Jackson, I found a great section on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website about staying healthy and safe during power outages.

What's your story? Have you been through any extreme weather events?

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