Red Cross Information Stations spread the disaster preparedness word to families affected by flooding in Mississippi
The 2011 Mississippi River flooding is the worst since the Great Flood of 1927, inundating homes, businesses, towns and farmland up and down the river. The flood crested in Vicksburg on May 19, more than 14 feet above flood stage at 43.0 feet and higher than the 56.2 foot record set in 1927. The American Red Cross has responded quickly, opening shelters for residents forced to evacuate their homes, and providing food, emotional counseling, and emergency financial support.
One critically important service that the Red Cross has been providing to residents affected by the flood is vital information to help keep them safe. American Red Cross Information Stations have been set up in nine locations in central Mississippi where flooding threatened homes, farms and businesses. Paige Roberts, Red Cross Public Affairs Manager for this disaster relief opertions said that the goal was to provide residents with important information to help them respond safely to flooding, including how to prepare for evacuation, how to keep themselves safe when they returned to their property after flood waters recede, and where Red Cross shelters have been set up.
An Information Station has been established on a grassy bluff overlooking the flooded river in downtown Vicksburg. Residents have been stopping in to talk to the American Red Cross volunteers there, asking about Red Cross services and what to do to cope with flooding.
Marsha Robinson, a Red Cross volunteer in Vicksburg from Davidson, Michigan spoke with resident Roy Wilson. “My 79-year old mother has had to evacuate her home just upriver because of the flooding, but she is safe and eager to come back home once the waters recede,” Wilson said. “I appreciate this flood-sense information the Red Cross has provided us, but also the fact that the Red Cross is there in our community to help out during these trying times.”
That sentiment was echoed by Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong as he stopped by the Information Station. “The Red Cross has been a good neighbor, helping the people in Vicksburg when we most needed help,” Chief Armstrong said. “When disaster occurs, we know that the Red Cross will be here at our side.”
Information Stations were also set up at other central Mississippi towns in the flood zone. Belzoni resident Cynthia Carter received flood information from Red Crosser Karli Epstein at a Red Cross Information Station in her home town. “God bless the Red Cross – you are here when we need you,” she said.
The 2011 flooding of the Mississippi, while a huge disaster, is also a relatively slow-moving one compared to the rapidity that a hurricane can strike. Instead of days or weeks in which residents can plan, evacuate and move to higher ground, a major hurricane could come ashore with only a few days warning. The American Red Cross urges everyone to be prepared now, before disaster strikes, by assembling an emergency evacuation kit and preparing an emergency plan for the entire family, including the family pets. Hurricane season will soon be upon us, and the Red Cross wants everyone to be safe should disaster strike.
Written by: Allen Crabtree, Volunteer Public Affairs