How the Red Cross could help respond to a hurricane in Hampton Roads

NORFOLK, Va. – As people in Florida begin to recover from Hurricane Milton on Thursday, News 3 continues.

Ahead of the storm, News 3 examined what a hurricane evacuation might look like in Hampton Roads. Now we’re looking at what resources are available to help people here in the event of a storm and how the region might recover.

Regard: What might a hurricane evacuation look like in Hampton Roads?

What might a hurricane evacuation look like in Hampton Roads?

“Many of our neighbors lost a large portion of their roof,” said Krystin Kiehnau.

Kiehnau currently lives near Tampa Bay but previously lived in Hampton Roads and is the sister of a News 3 producer. Kiehnau weathered the storm at home.

News 3 interviewed her on Tuesday. She said she was cautiously optimistic that she would be OK.

“I’m not going to lie, a little scary,” Kiehnau said when asked what it was like to weather the storm.

Her house was fine, she said, only a few roof shingles were loose and the tree was close to being uprooted.

The Red Cross plays a large role in storm response efforts, assisting at over 300 shelters in Florida.

“We can do the same thing here in Hampton Roads,” said Bill Egerton, director of the Red Cross Coastal Community Disaster Program.

Regard: American Red Cross: Emergency shelters in Florida remain open after Hurricane Milton

American Red Cross: Emergency shelters in Florida remain open after Hurricane Milton

Egerton said the Red Cross will begin hurricane preparations five days before he arrives.

“The Red Cross has identified over 100 potential evacuation centers in the coastal area. “We’ve done protection studies on all of these buildings for structural integrity and wind load, and we’re also looking at what flood plain they’re in,” Egerton explained.

The Red Cross regularly trains together with other organizations for disaster operations. This also includes bringing people to emergency accommodation.

Regard: Virginia Task Force 2 deploys to Florida in response to Hurricane Milton

Virginia Task Force 2 deploys to Florida in response to Hurricane Milton

Egerton said social services in every city in the region would use community partners such as law enforcement to evacuate people who cannot be evacuated.

After the storm, Red Cross caseworkers help people in shelters figure out what to do next.

“They call clients and find out what their barriers to recovery actually are. Then we have a really robust online referral system that we can pass on to our customers and help them. We will follow these customers sometimes for weeks,” Egerton said

Regard: How the Florida Aquarium plans to protect its animals during Hurricane Milton

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa has relocated its African penguins to higher ground

In the meantime, it’s a good reminder to make sure you’re prepared for a storm. Egerton recommends carrying enough food and water to last at least 10 days, figuring out where to go if you need to evacuate and knowing the zone you’re in.

This means you need to find out which hurricane evacuation zone you live in. A map from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management shows the zones and evacuation routes.

Know your zone: Find out which hurricane zone you live in

Egerton also recommends downloading the Red Cross emergency app, which can alert you and help you find open shelters. For Apple users, you can download the app here. For Android users, you can download the app here.