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Red Cross Opens Four Shelters During Widespread Power Outage

PORTLAND, Ore. – December 15, 2006 –The American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter is opening shelters for residents affected by the severe windstorm in Columbia, Tillamook and Clatsop counties.

In Clatsop County, 19,000 residents are without power tonight. The Oregon Trail Chapter will provide immediate emergency assistance for residents who need food and a warm place to spend the night. The Red Cross Emergency Kitchen Response Vehicle will dispense hot meals at the Cannon Beach Fire Department, a shelter is open at 1225 Avenue A in Seaside, and dinner will be served at Astoria High from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight.

Tillamook residents will be fed and sheltered at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds.

Feeding and sheltering will take place at the Vernonia Middle School for Vernonia residents. An additional shelter that will provide a warm place to spend the night has been set up at the Vernonia Community Church at State and A Street.

Six Red Cross Disaster Action Teams responded to locations in Hillsboro, Damascus, Sherwood and Southeast Portland to assist residents in the metro area whose homes were crushed under the weight of trees toppled by the windstorm. The residents have been placed in area hotels and provided Red Cross Client Assistance Cards, which allow for the purchase of food and other necessities, until other arrangements can be made and repairs begun.

The Red Cross urges residents without power in the metro area to take these steps to stay warm tonight:

• Dress warmly. Wear several layers of loose clothing. Trapped air insulates; many layers of thin clothing are better than single layers of thick clothing.

• Wear a hat, even when sleeping. Most body heat is lost through the top of the head.

• Use blankets for yourself and to insulate windows and doors.

• Keep hands and feet warm. Mittens are better than gloves.

• Stay indoors in one room on the sunny side of the house and close it off to keep heat in. Close off unused rooms.

• Stay dry.

• Consider staying with friends or relatives who have power in another area of town.

• Use extreme caution if you plan to use a wood-burning fireplace to heat your home. Keep the flue open after burning wood or firelogs to minimize the risk of carbon monoxide.

• IMPORTANT: Never bring a barbeque or heating equipment (such as propane, kerosene or charcoal briquettes) inside your home; there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Be a good friend and neighbor; Check on elderly and others in the neighborhood. Call elderly relatives or those with infants in other parts of town to see if their power is out and if they need help.

• If you need someone to check on you, set up a schedule with them to call you throughout the day.

• Stay informed: use a battery-operated radio tuned to a news station.

If the power is still out tonight

Don’t use candles. Use lightsticks or flashlights instead.

Keep your refrigerator closed as much as possible to avoid food spoilage.

Do not call 9-1-1 to report a power outage. (Phone lines should be left open for emergencies threatening life and property).

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Local Red Cross volunteers respond to residential fires and other disasters every 40 hours on average. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from Oregonians. Financial gifts help provide shelter, food, clothing, counseling and other immediate assistance to those in need. Call (503) 284-1234 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org

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American Red Cross, Oregon Trail volunteers respond to house fires every 32 hours on average.
To assist the Red Cross in providing disaster relief, please call (503) 528-5634.
To prepare yourself and your family for fire or other disasters, go to www.redcross-pdx.org