Fredericksburg, VA – In light of the recent hurricane watch issued by local authorities, the American Red Cross offers the following checklist to help Rappahannock Area residents “Be Red Cross Ready” in the event that local authorities issue an evacuation order.

□ Plan your evacuation route. Use local maps and identify alternate evacuation routes from home, work and/or school. Know where you are going and how you plan to get there before you leave home.

□ Monitor media reports. Watch TV, listen to AM/FM or NOAA weather radio and check the Internet often for official news.

□ Evacuate immediately when advised to do so.

□ Take your pets with you. If it is not safe for you, it is not safe for them. Red Cross emergency shelters cannot accept pets unless they are service animals. Prepare a list of family, friends, pet-friendly motels and boarding facilities that can shelter your animals in an emergency.

□ Develop a family communication plan so you will know how to contact each other in an emergency and where to meet. Identify an out-of-area contact person that family members and friends can call if you are separated from one another during a hurricane and local phone lines are out of service. Ask the out-of-area contact person to contact other people who care about you, to let them know your status.
□ Register with the Red Cross Safe and Well Web site. If you are affected by a disaster, this public site provides a way for you to register yourself and communicate your well-being to your family members. You can input information directly, or, via phone, ask a loved one to register your well-being for other family members and loved ones to access. The site is accessible via http://www.redcross.org.
□ Create or update your disaster supplies kit. Ensure your kit has the following items:
3-day supply of water (1 gallon per person, per day) and nonperishable food, (doesn’t need cooking or refrigeration)
Manual can opener
Flashlight
Battery-operated or crank radio
Extra batteries
First aid kit
Prescription and non-prescription medications
Copies of important documents: deeds, wills, bank account numbers, social security card, driver’s license, insurance policies.
Cash and change
Special items for babies, the elderly and pets
□ Prepare your home. Bring inside: bicycles, lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants, outdoor decorations or ornaments, or anything else that can be carried by the wind. Close windows and doors, then close hurricane shutters or cover windows with plywood. Note: Tape does not prevent windows from breaking, so taping windows is not recommended.

If an evacuation order is issued:
□ If you need to evacuate, do so immediately. Follow the direction of local authorities on which routes to take, which evacuation shelters to seek, and other important advice.
□ If you live in the affected area, call the toll-free Red Cross hotline: 1-800-RED CROSS for the nearest Red Cross emergency shelter. Or make arrangements to stay inland at a motel/hotel or with friends or relatives until the storm has passed.
□ Keep listening for updates, as the intensity and the path of the hurricane can change quickly, and without notice.

□ Stay away from floodwaters. If you come upon a flooded road, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. The floodwaters may still be rising, and the car could be swept away at any moment.

For more information on how you can get better prepared for disasters such as hurricanes, visit http://www.redcross.org or contact 540-735-0500 .

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation’s blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; 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 humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit http://www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://www.redcrosschat.org.

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