The Importance of Being Prepared

Unfortunately, between fires, drownings and even a possible tornado, we've had several recent incidents across the Western New York/Finger Lakes Region that remind us that disaster can strike anywhere, anytime. These tragedies are why we preach emergency preparedness and encourage everyone to take steps now to keep their family safe.

The most recent incident occurred late Tuesday evening, when a storm tore the roof off at least one home and knocked out power for hundreds in the Chemung County town of Baldwin. As the National Weather Service investigates to see if the damage was caused by a possible tornado, (UPDATE: The National Weather Service has since confirmed that a tornado did touch down in Baldwin) Red Cross Disaster Assessment volunteers are also on the ground, gathering the information we'll need to help the community recover from this storm.

Unfortunately, Upstate New York is become all too familiar with tornadoes this summer, and one way to prepare is to download the FREE Red Cross Tornado App. In addition to severe weather alerts that will let your family know when to take cover, the app also provides safety tips so you're family will know what to do if a storm rolls into your area.

The long holiday weekend also provided a tragic reminder of the importance of water safety after three drownings in Erie County. The summer may be coming to a close, but pools are still open, and natural bodies of water never close. Please, do whatever you can to help prevent these unthinkable tragedies. Make sure that you and your family learn to swim and take the proper safety precautions. Take a CPR/First Aid class and download the free First Aid app to help help you respond if an emergency does occur.

And the Labor Day weekend provided no break for our volunteers, who have responded to eight fires in Erie, Niagara and Orleans Counties alone since Saturday, providing food, clothing, comfort and support for 32 people, including four Tuesday evening in Lyndonville.

The American Red Cross is currently partnering with New York State to offer Governor Andrew Cuomo's Citizen Preparedness Corps training program, "Prepare, Respond, Recover: What to do When Disaster Strikes." The program provides residents with the tools and knowledge to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond accordingly and recover to pre-disaster conditions as quickly as possible. If you'd like to help your community stay safe by scheduling a Citizen Preparedness Corps training at your school, business or other organization, please email Justin Pitts or call (716) 878-2238.

Tornado App "interruptions" can be life-saving

I was having a nice, leisurely Sunday dinner with the family yesterday afternoon when our meal was interrupted by a phone going off. Normally, I would be embarrassed to admit it was my phone that ruined the conversation, but not in this case. You see, it wasn't just a text or an email I was getting, it was a tornado warning alert from my Red Cross Tornado App, and it could have been a life-saver.

Because of my role with the Western New York/Finger Lakes Region, I have set my app to monitor all 17 counties that we cover. This alert did not affect Wayne County, where my family was enjoying dinner with my folks, so no action was needed on our part. However, had we been in Schuyler or Chemung Counties, we would've known it was time to take immediate action and head to the basement until the danger had passed.

This morning, the National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-1 Tornado did touch down in Schuyler County on Sunday. Thankfully, the Red Cross has only been asked to help one family whose home was severely damaged in the Town of Reading, but this storm comes just a week our Central New York neighbors were devastated by a tornado that unfortunately claimed four lives in Smithfield.

Clearly, the danger of tornadoes is real for those of us in Western New York and the Finger Lakes, and the time to prepare is now. Please download the FREE Tornado App for your iPhone or Android device today and get real-time severe weather alerts and information wherever you currently are. Once you have the App, follow the preparedness tips it provides, things like putting together an emergency kit and creating a household plan. Then, should the tornado warning alert where you are--and trust me, no one will be upset about that interruption--you'll be prepared to keep your family safe.