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It is essential to prepare now as Beryl heads towards a possible stopover in the United States

Posted on by angelo

Hurricane Beryl, a dangerously strong storm, is leaving a trail of devastating damage across several Caribbean islands as forecast maps show the storm approaching Texas and Louisiana early next week.

The American Red Cross is ready to respond with relief teams and supplies throughout the Christmas weekend in potentially affected areas. Anyone in Beryl’s potential path should prepare now. Remember that communities hundreds of miles inland may be affected by intense rain and high winds.

Beryl is the earliest storm of this intensity to form in the Atlantic Ocean, with sustained winds of 145 mph (233 km/h). Beryl is also the earliest major Atlantic hurricane in 58 years, breaking a record set by Hurricane Dennis in 2005 ─ the same year Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast.

These unwanted records and the strength of this storm are linked to the climate crisis. Such ocean temperatures are not typically seen until the peak of the hurricane season in September and are a critical factor in fueling tropical storm systems. 1

HOW TO PREPARE FOR BERYL:

1. Make a plan to stay safe and know how you will stay connected.

  • You may need to stay where you are or travel to another location to ensure your safety. If you are leaving, think about where you will go, how you will get there, where you will stay, and what you will take with you. Plan well in advance if you will need assistance leaving or if you will use public transportation. Remember to include pets in your plans.
  • Write down important phone numbers on a contact card and carry it with you to reconnect with loved ones if you are separated or the phone or internet is down.
  • In case of a power outage, have a backup battery or other way to charge your cell phone, as well as a battery-powered or hand-cranked radio.
  • Sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government and learn what the different types of alerts mean. For example, a WATCH means to be prepared, and a WARNING means to take action.

2. Gather essential supplies and organize them into a first aid kit and a home kit.

  • Your travel kit should contain three days of supplies that you can carry with you. Pack backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.)

  • Your home survival kit should contain two weeks’ worth of food and water and, if possible, a month’s supply of medications and medical supplies.

  • Customize your kit to meet the specific needs of your household, such as if you have children or pets.

  • Keep your personal, financial, and medical records safe and easily accessible (hard copies or secure backups). Consider keeping a list of your medications and their dosages on a small card that you carry with you.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

This is a difficult time for anyone who may be affected by this storm, especially if you have experienced hurricanes before. Remember that it’s normal to feel nervous or exhausted.

  • Be patient with yourself and those around you.

  • Stay informed, but limit your exposure to television, radio and newspaper reports about the storm.

  • Stay connected with family and friends.

  • Feeling overwhelmed? Set priorities and break tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps.

  • Eat healthy, drink water and get plenty of rest.

  • If you or a loved one needs help, contact the Disaster Assistance Line for toll-free, 24/7 multilingual assistance by calling or texting 1-800-985-5990.

  • Children may need extra attention and reassurance. Give them opportunities to talk and encourage them to discuss their fears and concerns.

Annual Disaster Grants Program (ADGP)) Through the generosity of our Annual Disaster Donation Program (ADGP) and Disaster Response Team members, the American Red Cross is prepared before a disaster strikes. The ADGP and Disaster Response Team members help ensure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services, allowing the Red Cross to respond immediately, meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by a disaster, no matter the cost.

ADGP $1M Members: Amazon; American Airlines; Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; CMA CGM Foundation; Costco Wholesale; Delta Air Lines; Elevance Health Foundation; Enterprise Mobility Foundation; FedEx; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Lowe’s Companies, Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Merck; Microsoft; Nationwide Foundation; Pfizer Foundation; Starbucks Foundation; State Farm; Takeda; Truist Foundation; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; Wells Fargo

ADGP Members $500,000: Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Bread Financial; Capital One; Chick-fil-A; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; DHL Supply Chain; DraftKings; Edison International; Energy Transfer Foundation/Sunoco; Ford Motor Company Fund; Fox Corporation; General Motors; Google.org; HCA Healthcare; Home Depot Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; Kaiser Permanente; Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Mastercard; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Paul Davis Restoration; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; PetSmart Charities; Salesforce; Southeastern Grocers Gives Foundation and Southeastern Grocers, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Stryker; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; US Bank Foundation; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; Wawa Foundation; Wesco

Disaster Responder Members: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe; AES Company; ALDI; American Tire Distributors; American Water Charitable Foundation; Ameriprise Financial; Assuring; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Bath & Body Works; Big 5 Sporting Goods; Build-A-Bear Foundation; CarMax; CDW; Charles Schwab Foundation; Choice Hotels International; Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; Coca-Cola Foundation; Deluxe Foundation; DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Discover; Dollar General; Dollar Tree and Family Dollar; Duke Energy; Fair; FirstEnergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC; Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation; HP Foundation; International Paper; Invitation Homes; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; L’Oreal; Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo Foundation; LHC Group; LKQ; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Macy’s, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Marathon Petroleum Corporation; Martin Marietta; Masco; Mattress company; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; The Middleby Company; Neiman Marcus Group; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Norfolk Southern; Northrop Grumman Foundation; Northwestern Mutual; Novartis; Old Dominion Freight Line; Pacific Life Foundation; Phillips 66; Prudential; Raymond James; RBC USA Foundation; Reckitt; Reliance, Inc.; Reynolds American Inc.; RTX; Ryder System, Inc.; Santander; Security Finance Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Stanley Black & Decker; Tata Consultancy Services; U-Haul International; Ulta Beauty; US Foods; Yum! Brands; Zurich.

1 Time magazine