American Red Cross, Oregon Region - Winter Storm Update

The American Red Cross is working around the clock to provide assistance to families and communities impacted by the recent storms.

Our Emergency Operations Center has been active since Wednesday afternoon. We are currently assessing both ongoing and potential needs, for supplies and/or shelters, in the affected areas. We are continuing to monitor and respond to developing events in flood-prone places this weekend. We currently have over 100 Red Cross volunteers and staff from around the state actively responding, and we have several hundred more volunteers on alert, if needed.

There is new concern in Hood River County, where they have been dealing with icy conditions, power outages and downed trees – we have opened a shelter at WyEast Middle School, 3000 Wy'East Rd.

Four (4) Red Cross shelterswere open overnight: Aumsville; Brookings; Gold Beach; and Mapleton. Red Cross is also providing support for two community shelters: in Allegany; and Salem. We have opened a total of seven shelters during the last 24 hours, which also included Corvallis, Florence and Vernonia.

You can search for current Red Cross Shelter sites online at: http://www.redcross.org/nss/

We are drawing on supplies that were pre-positioned in over 50 locations across the state to conduct these sheltering and relief efforts.

We are prepared to provide distribution of clean-up kits, comfort kits and emergency food supplies as needed. In addition to sleeping accommodations, snacks and meals have been provided to shelter residents as well as mental health and medical supplies and assistance as needed.

In addition, Red Cross volunteers have responded to disasters where families have been displaced (home fires, flooding, trees falling on homes) in Tillamook, Marion and Wasco Counties. We are providing, free of charge, assistance with lodging, food, clothing, comfort kits, and information about Health and Mental Health services.

Red Cross needs blood donations...

Severe weather in the state has disrupted blood donations. If you have an appointment to donate blood, don't forget to come by, or if you would like to sign up to donate, go to: http://www.redcrossblood.org/ or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule an appointment.

Red Cross Safe and Well...

The Oregon Red Cross encourages everyone displaced by weather, and anyone attempting to locate friends and loved ones, to use the Red Cross Safe and Well site at: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php

You can help people affected by disasters like the recent storms and flooding as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. Visit www.oregonredcross.org or call (503) 528-5659. Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people.

Click here to make a donation.

Great links to Oregon flood resources and information

Social Media guru Scott Reuter with Oregon Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (an awesome organization, by the way) has posted a great list of Oregon flood resources.

He also has some really good advice if you're ready to jump in and volunteer:

"Regarding volunteering: Your help will be appreciated and needed, but wait to be asked. Self-deploying to disasters before officials are ready and are requesting volunteers can be unsafe, and can cause difficulties and hardship for those affected by the disaster.

Also, sometimes help is needed well after the response phase for long-term disaster recovery - if you can't help now, you can still be a great help later!"

Thanks Scott!

Also, check out the latest update on our response to the winter storms... we've been busy!

Snow, Winds, Rain, and Floods, Oh, My! Blood Donors Needed.

Winter weather has taken its toll with a quadruple punch of snow, winds, rain, and flooding in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, this nasty weather has led to numerous missed appointments and a serious decline in blood donations.

Schedule your appointment at a blood drive near you or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

It’s the blood that is already on the shelves that helps save lives before, during and after more extreme weather conditions, so the Red Cross is urging immediate blood and platelet donations in areas where it’s safe for donors to do so.

Since platelets have a shelf-life of just five days, it is imperative that there are enough platelets on hand to meet the needs of patients across the country.

Nationwide, around 44,000 blood donations are needed each and every day to meet the needs of accident victims, cancer patients, and children with blood disorders. These patients and others rely on blood products during their treatment. If blood collections are negatively impacted by winter weather, the long-term care needs of these patients could also be affected.

When winter weather strikes, this need does not diminish, even though blood donors may find it difficult or impossible to get to a convenient donation opportunity. If people will make an appointment to donate blood in the upcoming days and weeks ahead, blood will be available should conditions prohibit people from traveling or coming to blood drives.

It is crucial that we build our blood supply for all patients in need and regain a sufficient supply for the unexpected. Please help now. Make a blood donation appointment online or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

A Warming Experience...

At 9 PM, dozens of people are streaming through the just-opened doors of the Imago Dei Community Warming Center. We, on the inside, have been reminded of the time by those outside, holding their cell phones to the window, and showing us we're two minutes late getting the doors open.

Lots of these folks don't look homeless. They tromp in with decent looking backpacks and rain jackets, ski pants, bikes... everyone takes a couple of blankets and heads into the gym to settle in on a mat.

Some look like they've been on the street for a while... a few with shopping carts, loaded to overflowing, rigs almost too big to get through the doors... bikes with trailers... men and women with dogs and cats. One guy turns around and leaves, cursing, with his pug tucked into his jacket when he finds out he'd have to put the dog in a carrier when he gets inside, even though he could stay right next to it.

All the pets and carts, bikes and bulky gear go over on the plastic... there's a dozen pet carriers against the wall, some of them big enough for a german shepherd... people bed down next to their pets.

Some people look a little embarrassed to be here. Almost every one says thank you. It's been raining all day and the snow started falling around 7:30 PM. Everyone looks soaked...

In 20 minutes, the place looks packed. We've got 150 mats spread out on the gym floor. Everybody is happy to get in out of the crummy weather... it seems pretty full, but Curtis tell me we've only got about 80 people, mostly men, a few teens... he says one time they crammed 300 people into the gym.

Larry is running the kitchen and he and Judy have put out coffee (decaffeinated, although we don't tell anyone unless they ask), hot water and tea bags, hot broth and water.

I was lucky enough to be here tonight and found myself, yet again, being reminded of what little needs to be done to make an impact. I felt warmer on the inside by helping others feel warmer on the outside.

However many times and in however many ways we need to be reminded, there will always be something we can do to give ourselves and our neighbors hope.

The Oregon Red Cross has scheduled several orientation sessions, available in person or online, which cover the basics for warming center operations; staffing assignments; rules of conduct; and what to expect as a volunteer. Everyone who has volunteered in the past has wonderful stories from their experiences at the warming centers and we'd love to have you join us!

Why Do You Donate?

"Donating blood is my way of paying rent for living on earth."

...says Dolly, who hit her 100-gallon milestone this week during National Blood Donor Month.

What motivates you as an #everydayhero to donate?

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

ITALY: 250 Italian Red Cross staff and volunteers are taking part in the rescue and relief operation at the site of capsized liner Costa Concordia. The cruise ship hit rocks off Italy’s west coast on Friday night, killing at least 12 people and injuring 70. Volunteers have supplied more than 800 people with clothes, shoes, hygiene kits, transport to nearby hospitals, medicine and other materials.

NIGERIA: The ICRC is providing support for the Nigerian Red Cross to treat those injured in a recent wave of protests. A nationwide strike was called for January 9th by labor organizations to protest the withdrawal of fuel subsidies. Since the strike began, Nigerian Red Cross volunteers have provided first aid all over the country to more than 600 injured persons.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Heavy fighting has been raging in Shabunda territory of South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since January 5th, 27 injured people, including eight children, have been evacuated to various hospitals in Bukavu with support from the ICRC. The ICRC is continuing to supply medical supplies and is pressing the authorities and weapon bearers to respect and protect civilians.

SOMALIA: The ICRC has decided to temporarily suspend distribution of food and seed relief intended for 1.1 million people in urgent need after having been blocked by local authorities in parts of central and southern Somalia. Since a drought started in late 2010 the ICRC has distributed food rations to more than a million people and has provided agricultural support for over 100,000 farmers.

CHILE: On the first day of the new year hundreds in Chile were evacuated from dozens of forest fires that burned at least 57,000 acres. The Chilean Red Cross is currently assisting more that 50 families in shelters located in the communes of Quillon and Chillan.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Responding to Vernonia

THE OREGON RED CROSS IS RESPONDING IN VERNONIA

In the wake of a powerful winter storm that has hit Vernonia and left 2 feet of snow on the ground, knocked power out in town and heightened the possibility of flooding, the Oregon Red Cross is responding to a request for help by moving people, supplies and resources into this community of 2,300 people.

Working with Vernonia city officials, a warming shelter will be activated at the Vernonia Community Church and will be providing a warm place to stay, ready to prepare hot meals, and cleanup and comfort kits to those who need them.

The Oregon Red Cross is also preparing for flooding that may occur as the snow melts, and will have a sheltering team and equipment in place tonight, ready to help should the need arise.

Oregon Red Cross workers are also in regular communication with emergency managers and are ready to respond throughout the state as communities cope with this extreme winter storm.

Photo from OregonLive.com