In October, Hurricane Michael struck Florida and the entire Gulf Coast. It ripped through the Panhandle as a Category 4 storm, with winds of 155 miles per hour. It flooded many communities, swept cars onto roofs, and brought down trees in multiple counties.
Working in partnership with community partners and government, the Red Cross has provided assistance and support for hundreds of thousands of people affected by Hurricane Irma. As families recover from this devastating natural disaster, we are providing food and support.
Our partners have stepped up to help those affected by Hurricane Irma and are present in the communities of Florida, Georgia and Alabama. They are offering shelter, food and clean drinking water to victims in need.
Long-term World Vision partners are delivering pre-positioned supplies to hard-hit areas, and more supplies are on the way. Long-term partners are also helping with emergency medical care and rescue efforts in the affected regions.
Second Harvest of Central Florida volunteers pack boxes of food for families affected by Hurricane Irma. They are also preparing hygiene kits for children.
Save the Children provides portable cribs as well as baby wipes to families affected by Hurricane Michael. And Florida Urgent Rescue, a nonprofit that provides rescue, medical care, fostering and adoption services for animals, is helping with animal evacuations.
Survivors of Hurricane Michael need food, water, supplies and shelter now more than ever before. These vital items and many others will be made possible by donations.
The American Red Cross is a trusted partner of local governments and has been there in the affected areas ever since the hurricane. With more than 3,200 Red Cross volunteers and employees on the ground, they are ensuring that survivors receive critical assistance in their time of need.
Red Cross Panama City along with other local chapters has offered shelter, food, and support to families and individuals. They have helped more than 33,000 people with meals and distributed 169,000 aid items to those affected by the hurricane.
Second Harvest of the Big Bend, our partnership organization, has dispatched several truckloads of food as well as coordinated with state and local emergency centers to assist the 11-county areas. We are also working with state and local emergency officials to develop a comprehensive relief plan that includes emergency ready-to-eat meals, distribution capabilities and statewide partners.
Our partners respond to the immediate needs of Hurricane Michael victims and are present in affected communities in Florida and Georgia. They offer shelter and food to those who are most in need.
People in financial need can make a contribution to the Hurricane Michael Disaster Fund through GlobalGiving. Your donation will be used to help victims and support community-led recovery.
FAQ
What can you do when faced with a survival situation
There's not much time for you to think about what next. Make sure you're ready for anything. Make sure you know how to react when confronted with an unexpected problem.
It is important to be flexible and willing to learn if you find yourself in an unfamiliar situation.
In a survival situation, there are likely to be problems like:
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You feel trapped in remote locations
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Getting lost
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Limited food supplies
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Water running low
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Facing hostile people
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Face to face with wild animals
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Finding shelter
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Predators must be stopped
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Making fire
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Tools
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Building shelters
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Hunting
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* Fishing
How to Navigate Without a Compass or With One
While a compass won't show you where you are, it will help you locate your way home if you lose track of your direction.
There are three options for navigation:
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By landmarks
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By magnetic North (using a compass)
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By stars
Landmarks are objects that you can recognize when they appear. These can be trees, buildings, rivers, and so on. Because they give you a visual clue about where you are, landmarks are very useful.
Magnetic North is simply where the Earth's electromagnetic field points. The sun appears to be moving across sky if you look up. However, the earth's magnetic field actually causes the sun to move around the earth. Although it appears that the sun is moving across the sky and around the horizon, it actually does so. At noon, it is directly overhead. At midnight, the sun is directly below you. Because the earth's magnetic field changes constantly, the exact direction of its magnetic North pole is always changing. This could mean you can be off-course by quite a bit in one day.
Another method of navigation is to use stars. Stars appear as if they rise and fall over the horizon. These are fixed points in time that you can use for determining your location relative others.
What are the basic skills for survival in the wild?
When you live off the land, the most important thing to learn is how to light a fire. Not just about lighting a candle, but also how to use friction and fire flint to start a campfire. You should also learn how to avoid burning yourself with the flames.
You will need to be able to construct shelter from natural materials like leaves, grasses and trees. For warmth at night you will need to learn how to best use these materials. And finally, you'll need to know how much water you need to survive.
Other Survival Skills
Even though they will help you to stay alive, they are not as crucial as learning how lighting a fire. Even though you can eat many types of animals and plants you won’t be cooking them if the fire doesn’t start.
You'll also need to know how best and where to find food, including edible plants and animals. This is important because you could be starving or becoming sick if you don’t know.
Why are knot-tying skills very important for survival?
Everywhere you look, people use knots to connect items like fishing lines, ropes, ladders, and so on. You can also use them to tie bags closed, secure objects to trees and create shelters. The ability to make knots is an essential skill that can save lives when you need to tie yourself to a tree or rope or use them to secure your shelter.
What is the most vital item to survive?
Food is the most vital thing for survival. Shelter from the elements is also important, but they are less essential than food. If you don’t eat, it will be difficult to live long.
How can I find the right knife for me?
It is not easy to choose the right knife for you. There are so many companies that claim to have the best knives.
But which one is truly the best? How do they compare?
Consider first what tasks you are going to be performing with your knife.
Do you want to chop wood, skin animals, slice bread or chop vegetables?
Are you hunting or fishing with your knife? Are you going to use it for camping cooking?
Will you be using it to open cans or bottles? Will you be opening packages or boxes?
Does your knife have to be strong enough?
Consider cleaning it after each use. Is it something you intend to do often?
Does it have to maintain its edge well over the course of time?
What should you do first in a survival situation
Assessing the situation is the first thing you should do in an emergency. You should be aware of what is happening around and where you are.
It is also important to understand what you can expect from the environment. If you live in a remote area, communication may be impossible.
If you don’t know anything, it is a good idea to learn as much as you possibly can.
If you are in urgent danger, it's best that you seek medical help immediately. You might be able to wait until you are safe to collect information and find out the facts.
Statistics
- so you can be 100 percent hands-free, and there's less chance you'll put your torch down and lose it. (nymag.com)
- The downside to this type of shelter is that it does not generally offer 360 degrees of protection and unless you are diligent in your build or have some kind of tarp or trash bags, it will likely not be very resistant to water. (hiconsumption.com)
- Without one, your head and neck can radiate up to 40 percent of your body heat. (dec.ny.gov)
- Not only does it kill up to 99.9% of all waterborne bacteria and parasites, but it will filter up to 1,000 liters of water without the use of chemicals. (hiconsumption.com)
External Links
How To
How to purify water in emergency situations
The most important task in natural disasters is to purify drinking water. Filtration, disinfection and storage are the steps involved in purifying drinking waters. Drinking clean water has saved many lives during emergencies. It also makes it easier to recover faster after disasters.
Purified water should never be exposed to direct sunlight. Purified water must be kept out of direct sunlight. Plastic bags or bottles can be used if you don’t have enough containers. Keep the water chilled at 4°C (40°F). Avoid freezing water as ice crystals could form within the water.
These steps should be followed when purifying water
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Boil water until it boils. Use a strainer or a sieve to filter out any impurities.
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To every 2 gallons, add one teaspoon of the iodine. Mix well before adding the Iodine.
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You should store the water in sealed containers. Keep the water at room temperature for no longer than three working days.
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The date, the type of water and the amount of water should be clearly written on the label.
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Be sure to ensure safe water supply!