Red Cross Tips for Potential Flooding

Remnants of Tropical Storm Bill that are pummeling the South and the Midwest will be hitting the Southeastern Ohio region this weekend, causing flooding concerns.

The Muskingum Valley Red Cross talked to us Thursday about ways to be prepared in the event of a flash flood. Executive Director, Marlene Henderson, said flash floods are the most dangerous, and are caused by rapid flooding of bodies of water in low-lying areas. Henderson said we’re seeing some of those low-lying areas already covered.

“Now’s a great time to grab a kit, a backpack, put some things in it. With high water and flooding it’s a little different than power-outage or a winter storm; definitely want to make sure you have a flashlight, because it can cause power-outage,” Henderson said. “You don’t want to walk or drive through high standing water, turn around get out of the road, the old cliché, ‘turn around, don’t drown.'”

The Red Cross encourages folks to always keep a battery-operated radio handy, as they are essential in keeping you informed during a natural disaster.

“Make sure you’ve got some gloves, because you don’t know how sanitary the water is, it’s probably very unsanitary that’s coming up, you don’t want to get your hands in a lot of that,” Henderson said. “A whistle is great to put your car right now, just in case you do get stranded, you can blow that whistle and call attention.”

You can download the Red Cross apps for your smart phone, or check online at RedCross.org for more tips.