Hurricane Irene relief is a huge effort

The sheer magnitude of the American Red Cross relief effort following Hurricane Irene is staggering. The Red Cross has dedicated every one of its Emergency Response Vehicles east of the Rockies to the East Coast relief effort. That is 260 of the mobile feeding and supply vehicles, each capable of serving hundreds of meals a day. Fifty-two of these vehicles are now at work in North Carolina. Ten kitchens, capable of serving 140,000 meals a day, are operating in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and New York. Partner agencies in these same states plus New Jersey are making available 1.3 million meals.

Since Friday, Red Cross shelters along the East Coast from North Carolina to New England have provided 52,000 overnight stays for evacuees fleeing Hurricane Irene or its aftermath. In North Carolina, overnight shelter stays are up to 7,067 as of Tuesday, with a total of 43,020 meals served along with nearly 30,000 snacks. Most of the 52 shelters that were open in North Carolina have closed; eight remained open on Tuesday.

What has made Hurricane Irene such a monster is not its wind velocity or its size but its path all the way up the East Coast. After coming ashore near Morehead City, N.C., the storm continued up the coastline, hitting Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. Recovery will be a huge operation.

The Red Cross response to Hurricane Irene will cost the nonprofit organization millions of dollars, which is why fundraising efforts are under way even as relief operations continue. Donations to the Disaster Relief Fund can be made to any Red Cross chapter or to national headquarters, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Donations can be made at the Red Cross website, www.redcross.org, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. Online donations can also be made to www.encredcross.org, where donors have the option of selecting a chapter in eastern North Carolina to receive the donation.

Mobile phone users can donate $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

One picture says a lot about Red Cross service

While out at Rocky Mount's Englewood Baptist Church, where Gov. Bev Perdue was touring the Red Cross shelter Monday morning, I came across this photo of Red Cross volunteer Rebekah Cain taking care of one of the youngest residents of the shelter. I snapped a picture of Rebekah and little Tyler Morris as she stood in the shadow of a Red Cross trailer, trying to stay out of the heat and away from any distractions that might keep the tired toddler awake.

Evacuation shelters can be difficult for youngsters, which is why the Red Cross urges parents to bring toys and games for the children. The youngest children can easily become over-excited in a new environment and have difficulty sleeping. In those situations, it's great to have dedicated volunteers like Rebekah who are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the children happy and let them get the sleep they need.

Things you learn when surviving a hurricane

Here we are again, huddled up indoors while a hurricane rages outside. Folks of a certain age learn a few things about surviving a hurricane, and this axiom applies to folks who are 100 miles inland as well as those along the coast.

If you're not evacuating and are instead staying at home, here are some things I learned about getting through a hurricane, courtesy of Fran in 1996 and Floyd in 1999.

1. Expect electricity to be out, at least for a while. With Fran and Floyd, my wife and I went without electricity for nearly a week each time.

2. Invest in some lights that will actually provide enough illumination to read. When you can't watch TV or listen to the radio or stereo, being able to read is important. Electric lanterns that throw a circle of light are best for reading. Regular flashlights don't work very well at all, and neither do oil lanterns or candles.

3. A gas hot-water heater will allow you to take showers even when the electricity has been off for days and days. You can survive cold showers, but a hot shower is a wonderful luxury when the house is dark.

4. A gas stove is also preferable to an electric stove when the electricity goes off. Although the coffee maker might not work after the power goes off, you can use a gas stove to heat water and make tea or coffee the hard way. If the electricity is off long enough, you'll get used to it. A gas stove also allows you to cook meals. The microwave won't work, but you can cook a lot of nutritious food on the cooktop.

5. You might be able to find a gas-powered refrigerator. These are not common in North Carolina, and I've never used one, but that concept really sounds great after the electricity has been out a few days and the frozen foods are starting to thaw.

The Red Cross urges people to prepare for emergencies. A gas stove and gas water heater are good preparation steps for the next hurricane or other power outage.

Time is short; winds are strong

Time is getting short for making sure you're prepared for Hurricane Irene. The latest forecast has Irene making landfall along the Outer Banks before noon on Saturday. This morning's track is slightly west of Thursday's but still making landfall and still sending tropical storm-force winds far inland. Be prepared, folks!

Westward jog by Irene increases hazards inland

The following is this morning's report on Hurricane Irene from Emergency Management in Wilson County:

This storm has jogged a little more to the left.  As of 10:00 (our conference call with NWS), we potentially can receive tropical storm force winds in our area.  And up to 4 inches of rain or more.

•Tropical Storm and Hurricane watches have been issued for the Carolinas…see the following link for details: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/250852.shtml?

•A slight shift to the left in the official forecast track has been noted, but worst impacts still expected to remain east of I-95.

•Impacts for the central portion of the state on Saturday will include:

–Occasional heavy rain as the outer bands pass across the area. Rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches expect…with localized heavier amounts. Greatest rainfall amounts east of I-95 where greater than 6 inches is possible.

–Strongest winds should also remain east of I-95. However…isolated gusts up to 40 mph can’t be ruled out with the passage of the outer bands

–Greatest risk of flooding will remain across the eastern portion of the state. Localized poor drainage ponding or flooding possible across the central portion of the state with the heavier showers.

•Major marine and coastal impacts expected, including storm surge and coastal flooding, high winds, dangerous surf, and rip currents. For additional details regarding the immediate coastal impacts, please see the briefings from NWS Newport and NWS Wilmington at:

•NWS Newport briefing: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/mhx/downloads/briefings/

•NWS Wilmington briefing: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ilm/downloads/briefings/

•Confidence Factor: With the slight shift back to the left…it should be noted that central NC residents should not let their guard down…and additional track adjustments…and thus impact adjustments…are still possible…so stay tuned!

Wilson County at this time will continue to monitor the storm.

We will make the decision on Friday as to if or when/where we will open shelters.

We will make the decision on Friday as to whether or not we will open our Emergency Operations Center

Hurricane Irene wiggles leftward

The latest storm track for Hurricane Irene has it shifting slightly to the west, bringing the Category 3 storm over the Outer Banks instead of just offshore. This minute shift could have a big impact on locations farther inland. Tropical storm force winds could be felt as far west as Interstate 95, according to Wilson County Emergency Management. Unless the track changes dramatically, the North Carolina coast is in for quite a blow.

Red Cross emergency officials continue to track the storm in daily conference calls and will adjust response plans to meet the needs as they develop.

Spontaneous volunteers

With Hurricane Irene lurking in the Atlantic, the American Red Cross is preparing for the probability that shelters will have to be opened for evacuees. The  Frederick E. Turnage Chapter (Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Halifax and Northampton counties) has tentatively scheduled a Friday morning class for spontaneous volunteers -- people who have not previously volunteered with Red Cross but who want to help out during the hurricane. To sign up for the class, call 252-237-2171 or 252-977-1720. All volunteers will undergo a background check. Callers will be notified about class time and location.

Other chapters may also be accepting spontaneous volunteers. Call your local chapter for more information.

Preparing for a big storm

American Red Cross volunteers are busily preparing for the possible arrival of Hurricane Irene, which could reach eastern North Carolina shores by Saturday morning. The Red Cross is also advising eastern North Carolina residents to get themselves, their families, their homes and vehicles, and their pets ready for strong winds and drenching rains. Watch this video for some expert advice on how to prepare for the storm that's coming:



Hurricane Irene's projected path has veered slightly eastward over the past 24 hours. If that eastward turn continues, it could dodge the North Carolina coast altogether. But hurricanes, despite all of our sophisticated forecasting, are unpredictable, so preparations continue for a possible landfall in North Carolina, and the Red Cross advises all eastern North Carolina residents to have a plan, have a kit and keep informed.

Hurricane Irene heads farther north

The forecast for Hurricane Irene is changing rapidly. The latest forecast has Irene coming ashore Saturday morning along the South Carolina coast as a Category 3 storm. This will mean a much greater impact on eastern North Carolina, including the possibility that the storm could make landfall farther north along the N.C. coast.

Red Cross emergency services directors in eastern North Carolina have been warned to prepare for the storm. If Irene continues on her predicted course, the N.C. coast will feel the fury of the storm, and areas well inland also could be affected by high winds and flooding.

Residents of eastern North Carolina are advised to remain alert to storm warnings and to prepare to evacuate their homes if necessary. Prepare an emergency kit with essential items, including three gallons of water per day per person in case of failure of water systems. If a coastal evacuation is ordered, the Red Cross will open shelters farther inland to accept coastal evacuees.

Keep an eye on Hurricane Irene

Irene is now a hurricane, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2011. Hurricane Irene's current predicted path has it making landfall in the continental United States, meaning it will be the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season to hit the United States. Red Cross volunteers will be prepared when Irene comes ashore to provide food and shelter for evacuees.You can follow Irene at the National Hurricane Center or at a number of weather websites.

At this point, it does not appear that Irene will pose a major threat to the North Carolina coast or to eastern North Carolina. If it keeps to its predicted path,  Irene will be an unusual storm, one that approaches eastern North Carolina from the southwest rather than from the southeast. Western North Carolina appears likely to get a drenching and some strong winds from Irene. Eastern North Carolina is more likely receive some much-needed rain but little in the way of wind damage. But forecasts do change, so stay alert.

A strong storm (Irene is now predicted to come ashore as a Category 2) could lead to the deployment of Red Cross volunteers from across the country, including eastern North Carolina, to the storm's landfall area. When a disaster overwhelms the capacity of local volunteers to meet the needs of clients, the Red Cross enlists volunteers from other areas to assist in the relief operation.In the past year, eastern North Carolina volunteers have been deployed to flooding in Tennessee and along the Missouri River basin and to tornado sites in the Southeast.

When the storm comes, be prepared with a disaster plan and a disaster kit, and be informed.

The Red Cross in eastern North Carolina will be ready

Welcome to the new Eastern North Carolina Red Cross blog. Come back often, as we hope to have a steady flow of information and advice. Hurricane season is under way, and that's not the hockey-playing kind of hurricanes. Eastern North Carolina has been fortunate in recent years to have avoided major, direct hits from hurricanes, but eastern North Carolina is always vulnerable. Chapters in eastern North Carolina prepare for hurricanes by training volunteers, arranging for the use of buildings, such as school gymnasiums, for sheltering evacuees, and signing contracts with food vendors to feed evacuees.
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies, and that is especially true in eastern North Carolina during hurricane season.
To learn what you should do to be ready for a hurricane, go here.