Stephanie Fox of the Red Cross updates her organization's response to the severe weather threat throughout the southern U.S. They've already provided assistance to those impacted by the storms.
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00:00The American Red Cross is always ready to provide help following weather
00:04emergencies and Stephanie Fox is joining us
00:06right now from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Stephanie, thank you for making time for
00:09us here on a Saturday. Very dangerous setup across the south.
00:13So what kind of weather are you experiencing
00:16statewide there in in Louisiana in your community
00:19and what kinds of the need have you found
00:22arising out of this? So today we've seen numerous tornado warnings starting
00:28this morning over in central and northern Louisiana
00:31and now we're focusing on north part of the sections just above
00:36Lake Pontchartrain leading into Mississippi.
00:40These storms have been extremely volatile. They have been rotating
00:44and producing tornadoes or at least producing damaging winds.
00:48So things have been just very treacherous
00:51all day and those conditions are expected to continue
00:55over the next many hours and into the overnight as the storm system continues
00:59to move north and east and it's just really important
01:02for folks to be heeding the direction of local officials
01:05around them. We are still working with folks who've
01:08been impacted prior to this to ensure that they are getting
01:12assistance across the states that have seen those
01:14direct impacts. And Stephanie, deadly tornadoes struck
01:18Missouri and other states had significant damage overnight. Where will
01:20the Red Cross be sending help over the next few days?
01:24So we have been in these communities long before this tornado outbreak
01:28occurred and we're going to continue being in these communities long after.
01:31There are numerous shelters set up for communities that were impacted by not
01:35only these strong winds and tornadoes from last night
01:38but also the wildfires that struck in areas of Oklahoma and Missouri and Texas.
01:42So for folks who need assistance they can
01:44contact the Red Cross by downloading the emergency app, call
01:48away at Hunter Red Cross to find those shelter locations
01:51and of course if they have been impacted by these storms and need
01:54assistance please call 1-800 Red Cross so we can
01:56get working with you. And the American Red Cross always stresses
02:00safety and preparedness. So what are some reminders for before severe weather
02:04reaches your home and other tips to stay safe during and
02:07after the weather event? It is absolutely essential that everybody
02:11has a way to receive warnings today and into the overnight
02:15hours. Something that's going to wake you up and get your attention.
02:18So download your favorite weather app. Ensure that you have those emergency
02:22alerts activated on your cell phones. The Red Cross emergency app is a great
02:26one to download. It will provide push notifications for folks as those
02:30warnings are issued in their areas. Also understanding that terminology
02:33whether it's a watch or a warning and what kind of activities that should
02:36trigger for folks as they are in these impacted areas.
02:40Make sure you are not traveling and out on the road unless you absolutely have
02:43to be. Even in areas where we are not seeing
02:45direct impacts from tornadoes. You can see behind me it is
02:49incredibly windy. There's lots of rain so it has the
02:52potential for travel to be treacherous. Make sure you have your emergency
02:55preparedness kit that you are keeping tabs on your pets who could be
03:00afraid with these storms as well as your
03:03children who are not going to have the coping mechanisms to kind of
03:07deal with this. So it's really essential that folks heed the
03:10direction of their local national weather service,
03:13of their local meteorologists and ensure that they are
03:16staying in tune with ways to know what's going on.
03:19All right we appreciate your insight and especially all that you do.
03:22Stephanie Fox, spokesperson with the American Red Cross. You're always
03:25fighting a good fight. Thanks again Stephanie. Thank you.