A Look Back at the 1974 Tornado Response

Photo Courtesy of Capital City Museum

Former Red Cross employee Pat Badgett (left) surveys the damage at Mitchell’s Trailer Park in Western Franklin County Kentucky following an April 3, 1974 tornado. Pat’s mother lived in the park, but was luckily not at home when the tornado hit. Pat was also a longtime Red Cross board member and continues to volunteer with the Franklin County Chapter.

Several communities are hosting memorials today to mark the 40^th Anniversary of the 1974 tornado outbreak, so I thought I would take a look through our chapter archives to learn how the Red Cross responded four decades ago. One of the hardest hit areas on April 3, 1974, was right here in the Commonwealth. A total of 85 deaths were recorded for Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

The Red Cross was there during the following days, weeks and months to provide emergency assistance in the areas where folks needed help the most. Six shelters were opened to accommodate displaced families. More than 400 people sought refuge there during the first days of the relief operation. By April 8, all Red Cross shelters were closed. Even though hundreds of families were still without a home, their family, friends and neighbors opened their doors to offer shelter and comfort.

The Red Cross opened one fixed site to serve food and operated six mobile units, feeding approximately 3,200 people around the clock, including affected families, National Guardsmen and emergency workers. We also set up a babysitting service for families cleaning up and collecting what was left of their homes.

Jefferson Co. Indiana volunteer Paul Steinhardt

 

But it wasn’t just the disaster department working to support relief efforts. Every single branch of the Red Cross played a part. Three mobile first aid units monitored affected areas at all times. Service to Military Families helped locate families for frantic relatives. More than 1,500 blood donors answered the call for blood in the week following the tornado outbreak.

As I read through old chapter meeting minutes, the familiar names of key community groups were frequently mentioned including Salvation Army, National Guard, Kentucky Baptist Convention and our longtime partner, the United Way. It was then as it is today, an “all hands on deck” operation inside and outside the organization. By the close of the operation, we had served 2,900 families in our region alone and we couldn’t have done it without our volunteers, donors and partners.

As we enter severe storm season, remember to create or review your family disaster plan. You can also download free Red Cross preparedness apps on floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires and hurricanes. Visit www.redcross.org/mobileapps for more information.

Hollywood Halloween Tips

Photo Courtesy of amuchdeeperlevel.blogspot.com

It's been quite a while since my last post, but I can always count on Halloween to stir up a little creative inspiration. Candy and costumes were my favorite parts of the sometimes misunderstood holiday, but Halloween kid movies were a close third. Here are a few tips I shall carry with me forever:

The Witches: Don't accept candy from strangers. You could end up like this guy. ^ Poor Bruno.

Casper: If your house is haunted, just make friends with the ghosts. 

Ernest Scared Stupid: Milk does a body good AND defeats nasty trolls.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: DON'T mess with Christmas. That being said, there's a time and a place for every holiday. Department stores, take note.

And, of course, if we learned nothing else, every 90s kid knows, NEVER, EVER light the black flame candle. (Although, it could be fun.)

GIF courtesy of redletterdayeblog.wordpress.com

I know there are plenty more out there. Share your favorite Halloween movie tip in the comments and review the tips below for a safe Halloween.

• Look for flame-resistant costumes.
• Plan the Trick-or-Treat route and make sure adults know where children are going. A responsible adult should accompany young children.
• Make sure the Trick-or-Treaters have a flashlight. Add reflective tape to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags. Have everyone wear light-colored clothing in order to be seen.
• Visit only the homes with a porch light on. Accept treats at the door. Never go inside.
• Instead of masks, which can make it hard to see, consider using face paint.
• Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Look both ways before crossing the street and cross only at the corner. Don’t cut across yards or use alleys. Don’t cross between parked cars.
• Be cautious around pets and any other animals.

WELCOMING GHOSTS AND GOBLINS 

• Sweep leaves from the sidewalks and steps.
• Clear the porch or front yard of any obstacles that a child could trip over.
• Restrain any household pets.
• Use a glow stick instead of a candle in the jack-o-lantern to avoid a fire hazard.

LEARN WHAT TO DO 

Download the free American Red Cross First Aid App. Features of the app include:

• Step-by-step instructions on how to handle the most common first aid situations;
• Videos and animations that  make the skills easy to learn;
• Safety and preparedness tips; and
• Quizzes that users can take to earn badges which they can share with their friends on social media. 

People can find all of the Red Cross apps in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps.

Youth Council Brings Water Safety to Joy-Lou

The following was submitted by Louisville Area Chapter Club Council member Reagan Roy.

On June 11, 2013, the Louisville Area Chapter Club Council presented a Longfellow’s WHALE Tales presentation to around 20 children at Joy-Lou Pre-School & Day Care. The WHALE Tales program is derived from water safety classes created by Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow.

Longfellow started the Red Cross Lifesaving Corps in 1914 to train volunteers in the methods of lifesaving and resuscitation. His next step was to provide large-scale instruction in swimming. The Commodore's teaching philosophy was to "entertain the public hugely while educating them gently." He did just that. In tribute to Commodore Longfellow, the mascot for the program is a blue whale named “Longfellow”. This is because Commodore Longfellow was nicknamed “The Amicable Whale” for his service.

The council members presented water safety rules to the children. Some of the rules presented were:

• Don’t swim alone
• Follow the pool rules
• Look before you leap
• Think don’t sink
• Reach or throw don’t go

“Everybody did an outstanding job,” said Council Member Jada Stewart. “The children were great and really seemed to enjoy it.”

To engage the children, the volunteers performed three skits during the event followed by a question and answer session led by the members. Each child in the room had the chance to answer a question correctly and receive a Red Cross bracelet for their participation. The members also told personal stories or lead group discussions around the general pool side rules.

The teacher received WHALE Tales worksheets to work on with the children at a later date, reinforcing the message of water safety. Members who helped present were Taylor Greenwell, Brianna Rodgers, Jada Stewart, Michael Jones and Reagan Roy. Youth Coordinator Kristen Lawrence was in charge of preparing and overseeing the event.

If you are interested in more information on the Chapter Club Council or other youth volunteer opportunities at the American Red Cross Louisville Area Chapter, call 502-561-3601 or visit www.redcross.org/Louisville.

Intern and Youth Volunteer Jocelyn Porter

Jocelyn (right) at 2012 Donorama Blood Drive

Hello, my name is Jocelyn Porter and I am a youth volunteer for the Louisville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. I just completed a five month internship here and am continuing my service through the Chapter Club Council, (Louisville’s chapter club). These past five months have been instrumental to my growth as a high school student. I’ve developed many noteworthy skills and have been given amazing opportunities.

There are three ways to volunteer with the American Red Cross:

1. in a group such as your Girl Scout troop, church youth group, or school beta club
2. in a Red Cross club at your school or in your local chapter
3. as an individual volunteer

I am a member of the Red Cross Club at the Louisville Area Chapter and as mentioned before I am also a student intern. As a part of my internship, I came in three times a week to complete office administrative tasks along with Public Relations related assignments. Some of my office administrative duties included data entry in the volunteer office.

One very important task I completed was to catalog the volunteer pins given out before our newest computer system update. My help in this effort made it possible for seasoned and dedicated volunteers to be awarded for their hard work over the years. I recorded the names of volunteers and the awards they had been given so that we knew when it was time for them to receive another award based on the years of their service. I created a database of this information and cataloged names and awards from 1986 to 2011.

I have also made phone calls to youth in the community who have expressed interest in becoming a youth volunteer for the Louisville Chapter Club like me. I’ve put together bulletin boards in the building elevators that have announcements Red Cross employees should be aware of. These projects as well as the many other activities I do at the Red Cross are important for many reasons--they open the door for more volunteers, allow information to be stored in a more organized form, and contribute to the mission of the Red Cross as a whole.

I have acquired 90 hours this year. My favorite project that I have done thus far has been the Pin project. I was able to see just how many people over the years have volunteered their time to help their local Red Cross reach its goal of serving people worldwide and how committed those people have been. Some have been working with the Red Cross for 50 years.

I would definitely encourage other youth in the community to volunteer with the Red Cross because it is a way to help save lives even though you may not be old enough to give blood. It is a group effort, and by volunteering at blood drives or working in the office, you are helping to fulfill the mission of this worthwhile organization

-Jocelyn Porter

Local Volunteers Help Illinois Disaster Relief Operation

Red Cross volunteers Charlotte Surratt, Joe Baird, Carrie Smith and Mike Sewell.

This past weekend, as most Kentuckiana residents prepared for “the greatest two minutes in sports,” four local American Red Cross volunteers were on their way out of the Commonwealth. In the midst of Kentucky Derby madness, Carrie Smith, Mike Sewell, Joe Baird and Charlotte Surratt traveled to Illinois where they will assist with the Midwest flood response in Arlington Heights and Peoria.

The four volunteers collectively have more than 15 years of disaster response experience with the Red Cross. For this disaster operation, each of them will help provide client casework services to people affected by flooding. Client caseworkers work one-on-one with families and individuals to determine what kind of help they need to get back on their feet following a disaster.

Charlotte Surratt is a retired EMT/CNA/Cake Decorator. A jack of all trades, she began volunteering at the Fort Knox Red Cross a few years ago. She assists the Fort Knox office with everything from the Helping Hands program which provides household furniture and goods for soldiers, to meeting with military families before oversea deployments. Along with her weekly responsibilities in Fort Knox, she tries to serve on at least two disaster operations each year.

“This is my heart, going out on disasters,” Charlotte said. “This is what I was supposed to do.”

Charlotte is trained in several disaster response areas. Following Superstorm Sandy, she traveled to West Virginia where the storm dumped 2-3 feet of snow before moving on to the northeast. In West Virginia, she was in charge of ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) dispatch. Drifts of snow along with icy roads and fallen tree limbs prohibited driving in much of the mountainous area, so it was important for Charlotte to send ERVs to central locations that people could travel to on foot.

Charlotte knows it’s important to remain flexible on disaster operations, but she will say that casework is her favorite as she gets to meet people (and pets!) and be there for them when they need it most.

“A lot of times they’re so grateful to see you they burst into tears. They all have a story and they want you to listen to them.”

A total of 15 volunteers from throughout the Kentuckiana Region are in Illinois helping provide food, supplies, emotional support and health services. The Red Cross will be there to support affected communities until well after the flood waters recede. To support Red Cross disaster efforts, please make a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief at redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. People can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.