The American Red Cross of Upstate South Carolina serves Greenville, Abbeville, Anderson, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, and Pickens Counties.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Alberto, First Tropical Storm of 2006

Posted by Brian Scoles, PR Director

Nine days into Hurricane Season 2006, our first Tropical Depression formed. 11 days in, it grew into our first Tripical Storm. Alberto is currently in the Gulf of Mexico and expected to reach the Western coast of Florida no later than Tuesday.

According to current NOAA projections, it will be off the coast of South Carolina by Wednesday. Even though we should not be directly affected by this storm, we need to be prepared for its secondary affects of high winds and rain.

As of Sunday, Alberto has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph which extend outward to 175 miles from its center. Alberto is expected to produce anywhere from 4-8 inches of rain.

Keep in mind, these are early predictions. However, the underlying message in these early reports is to prepare now!

What can you do to prepare? The first step is to visit redcross.org and review over the Together We Prepare information which talks about the simple steps of preparedness: Build a disaster supplies & first aid kit, make a family communications & evacuation plan, get trained as a Red Cross volunteer & help those in your community learn to prepare for and respond to emergencies. Remember, the wise person will be prepared to survive for at least 72 hours after a major storm passes.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Disaster Volunteers Deploy: Assist Victims of Mill Fire

Posted by Brian Scoles, PR Director

Over the weekend, three Disaster Serivces Volunteers from the Upstate Chapter, deployed to help the victims of the J.P. Stevens Mill Plant 3 fire.

As a result of the fire, hydrochloric acid was released into the atmosphere in Great Falls, SC, causing over 1000 people to leave their homes. The Red Cross responded and opened a shelter to house evacuees and three volunteers from the Upstate Chapter moved into the shelter and assisted with government liaison work and individual client services.

The Upstate Chapter not only has a commitment to serve the residents of the Upstate, but our commitment extends to all South Carolinians and those who call America home.

Friday, June 09, 2006

Oh What A Night

Posted by Brian Scoles, Chapter PR Director

I want to start off by thanking Amy Howard, our Director of Volunteers, for putting together an outstanding Annual Meeting. With the help of her volunteers, we had the largest attendance ever for an annual meeting.

This year, the American Red Cross celebrates 125 years of service to the people of the United States. That was the theme for last night's celebration. Many awards were given to chapter volunteers for their dedication and passion for serving their neighbors here in the Upstate and for some, their service to the nation during times of large-scale disaster. With out our volunteers, the Upstate Chapter and the American Red Cross as a national organization could not perform its service to the nation.

Pat's Seventeen Piece Swing Band created the atmosphere for the evening as people strolled through history looking at memoribilia of the Red Cross' service to the nation during times of war and peace. Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross and Henri Dunant, founder of the International Red Cross Movement, strolled through the crowd and talked about the significance of the Red Cross in providing aid to wounded servicemen and to those suffering the affects of a disaster both at an individual and national levels.

We elected new officers to our Board of Directors and nominated others for additional terms of service.

It was a great evening. We look forward to serving American for another 125 years.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Is Your Local Red Cross Chapter Prepared?

Posted by Brian Scoles, Public Relations Director for the Upstate Chapter

With Hurricanes Katrina and Rita still fresh on our minds and pictures of New Orleans once again splashed on the news, Hurricane Season 2006 officially began at midnight on June 1st. I want to ask you, are you ready?

Rest assured, the Upstate Chapter is ready.

I realize that we don't get the full brunt of a hurricane this far inland, but we could experience the secondary affects of a hurricane that hits the South East. What types of secondary affects could we see here in the Upstate? Severe thunderstorms, high winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes-all of which are very real possibilities that could force us from our homes and thrust us into survival mode.

Should any of these situations strike the Upstate and cause residents to evacuate from their homes, the Upstate Chapter is ready to open shelters, feed all who seek refuge, and begin to meet many of the residents' disaster-caused needs. Chapter volunteers and employees have taking training specifically for hurricane response. The chapter has been updating its agreements with local schools to ensure they are ready should we get notice that evacuees are on the way. The chapter has stocked food, water, cots, comfort kits, client assistance cards, generators, and many more supplies that will enable our clients to begin the rebuilding process. We also have partnerships with local governmental and non-governmental agencies to provide medical and emotional care or special needs a shelter resident may have.

The Upstate Chapter has done its part to be ready in an emergency. Have you done all you can to get ready? The Red Cross strongly encourages Upstate residents to have enough supplies on hand to survive on their own for up to the first 72 hours after a disaster strikes. One lesson that everyone should have learned from Katrina/Rita is that sometimes disaster conditions are so devastating that emergency services may not be able to respond until conditions stableize.

In advance of any disaster, you should stock the following supplies for all members of your household in a duffle bag or large container:
Flashlight with plenty of extra batteries
Battery powered radio with extra batteries
First aid kit
Prescription medications in their original bottle, plus copies of prescriptions
Eyeglasses with copy of prescription
Water at least one gallon per person, more is better
Foods that don’t require refrigeration or cooking
Infant items and elderly household members items
Medical equipment and devices such as dentures, crutches, prostheses, etc.
Change of clothes for each household member
Sleeping bag or bedroll and pillow for each household member
Checkbook, cash, and credit cards
Map of the area

Sounds like a lot, I know, but these items may very well save your life if you simply prepare ahead of time. For a more preparedness tips, you can contact the Upstate South Carolina Chapter at (864) 271-8222 or log on to www.redcross.org.