Disaster Response

Plainfield: Union County has been placed on a tropical storm watch, along with surrounding areas which could be affected by Hurricane Earl. This alert level could increase as the storm progresses. Please stay tuned to local radio and television broadcasts for the latest news. Powerful rip currents all along the East Coast will occur today through the weekend. The Tri-County Red Cross advises anyone visiting beaches  to swim only on lifeguard protected beaches and within designated swimming areas.

The Red Cross also recommends three quick steps to take now to be prepared for emergencies like hurricanes - build a kit, make a plan and be informed. People in the path of Hurricane Earl should follow the instructions of local authorities regarding any possible evacuations. Union County residents can sign up for storm and other alerts on your cell phones, pagers, e-mail systems and other devices at www.ucfirstalert.org.

All Red Cross, CERT and MRC volunteers are requested to check in with their supervisors to see if they need to be on stand-by.

Other Links:

American Red Cross - Hurricane Safety Checklist

Center for Disease Control - Emergency Preparedness and Response - Hurricanes

National Weather Service - National Hurricane Center 

The Red Cross, in coordination with government partners, opened four shelters Monday morning on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.

•  A leadership team of seven disaster workers specializing in logistics, feeding, sheltering and response technology arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands this weekend to support the local chapter with preparations for the hurricane.

• Red Cross warehouses on the islands are equipped with thousands of cots and blankets, plus kerosene lanterns, comfort kits and cleanup supplies, all ready to be distributed to people in the path of the hurricane.

• The Puerto Rico Red Cross chapter is also supporting stranded travelers while the airport there is closed.

Hurricane Earl could affect the Atlantic Coast later this week, and the Red Cross is getting ready.

• Hurricane Earl is expected be a very wide storm and while the eye may not make landfall on the east coast some inland areas could experience flooding and high winds.

• Up and down the East Coast, we have trained disaster relief workers, mobile feeding vehicles and trucks equipped with communications technology on alert.

• This is predicted to be a fast moving storm so residents along the East Coast should be vigilant. Now is a good time to finalize hurricane plans and update emergency supplies kits.

The Red Cross recommends three quick steps to take now to be prepared for emergencies like hurricanes - build a kit, make a plan and be informed.

Hurricane Earl is likely to cause powerful rip currents all along the East Coast. The Red Cross advises anyone visiting beaches to swim only on lifeguard protected beaches and within designated swimming areas.

• If caught in a rip current, remember to remain calm and avoid fighting against the current. Instead, swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline.

• If unable to swim out of the current, float or calmly tread water. If possible, yell for help and draw attention to yourself.

Click here for more preparedness and safety tips.

Red Cross work starts before a hurricane makes landfall. In fact, we keep a variety of supplies and equipment on stand by year round to be ready to help people in need.

In an average year, the Red Cross spends about $450 million on disaster relief throughout the U.S. This includes the costs for shelters, feeding efforts, supplies for disaster victims and health and mental health efforts.

This amount also includes the costs to be ready to respond to any disaster by maintaining those things that help the Red Cross to get assistance to people in need.

For example, we have 26 warehouses stocked with disaster relief supplies, more than 90,000 trained workers, and more than 320 mobile response vehicles ready to respond year round. If we didn't maintain these resources 24/7, we couldn't get help to people in a timely fashion.

Please click here to donate to the Red Cross to help people affected by disasters. Every single donation brings hope to those in need.

During the evening of June 4, 2010 a fire broke out at a six story apartment complex at 621 Broad Street in Elizabeth, NJ leaving 15 adults and two children temporarily homeless.  The Elizabeth Fire Department called the Tri-County Red Cross to assist.

Red Cross disaster volunteer Audi Arvelo responded with Emergency Services Director Michael Prasad to assess the damage and the needs of the families.  Arvelo provided hotel rooms, food and clothing for the families to ensure their basic needs were cared for.

Initial Red Cross support for these families will cost $5,000.  Neighbors, local businesses and other in the Elizabeth community can contribute funds for these families and other victims of local fires and floods by visiting http://www.tricountyredcross.org/donate.html or calling (908) 756-6414 on Monday morning.

The American Red Cross is mandated by Congress to provide disaster relief in the United States of America, but receives no funding from the government to provide these services.  Instead the Tri-County Red Cross relies on contributions from local individuals, businesses and organizations to provide shelter, food and clothing.

If you would like to volunteer to support your neighbors in the Elizabeth and area, please call Mike Prasad at (908) 756-6414 to learn about free training in disaster preparedness and response.

SOMERSET, N.J. -- Those who suffered losses or damages as a result of the severe storms and flooding of mid-March and who live or have a business in the New Jersey counties declared disaster areas by President Obama under the April 2, 2010 declaration, have less than one month left to apply for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The deadline for individuals and businesses to register for assistance is June 1, 2010.

"The registration deadline is quickly approaching, and we want to encourage those who need disaster aid to apply now," said Federal Coordinating Officer William L. Vogel. "Registering with FEMA is the first step in the recovery process, and help is only a telephone call away or a few clicks away on the Internet."

SOMERSET, N.J. -- La Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, por sus siglas en inglés) anunciaron hoy que queda un mes para solicitar asistencia federal por desastre para aquellos que sufrieron pérdidas o daños como consecuencia de las severas tormentas e inundaciones de mediados de marzo y que viven o tienen negocios en los condados de New Jersey declarados zonas de desastre por el Presidente Obama bajo la declaración del 2 de abril de 2010.

La fecha límite para los individuos y las empresas para solicitar asistencia es el 1 de junio 2010.

"La fecha límite de inscripción se está acercando rápidamente, y queremos animar a aquellos que necesitan ayuda por desastre que apliquen ahora", dijo el Coordinador Federal William L. Vogel. "Registrarse con FEMA es el primer paso en el proceso de recuperación, y toda ayuda esta a sólo una llamada telefónica o a pasos en la Internet."