Floods and fires are the natural disasters we deal with most in northeast Ohio. Mother Nature wreaked havoc on us over the weekend and into the beginning of the week, flooding yards and basements.
The Golden Ridge area of Wadsworth Township was hit hard. Water found its way into one home in the neighborhood, decimating the family’s basement.
“We are working with the Medina County EMA to assess what’s going on in the different neighborhoods,” said Mary Williams, regional communications officer with the American Red Cross. “We tailor our response to what the community needs.”
The Red Cross is working with a Wadsworth family who is no longer able to live in their home. Williams said the organization is helping the family with shelter, clothing and food until their insurance kicks in.
“Bleach is your friend. Don’t go down in the water, it’s not a pool. There is bacteria in it,” Williams explained. Here are four tips to keep in mind should you ever have a flooded basement:
– Stay safe
– Determine the cause of the flooding
– Remove water-damaged items
– Mitigate future flooding
You can read about the Red Cross tips more extensively here: http://bit.ly/1LholHN
You can download the Flood Safety Checklist via the Red Cross, or one of their two apps: Red Cross Flood App or their Emergency app, which includes all aspects of the Flood App, plus what to do for all natural disasters that the American Red Cross responds to.
The Flood App sounds an alarm. “It doesn’t care if it’s 2 a.m. or if your do not disturb is on, which I think is a great feature. It won’t let you miss the alert.”
