American Red Cross disaster relief operation continues to  adjust its service locations and services to address changing community needs.  Locations and details found here:

Red Cross Flood Relief Center Extends Operation Through 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 21

The American Red Cross will extend the operation of the flood relief center in Lewis County (Located at the Bethel Church — 132 Kirkland Road, Chehalis) through Friday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. to assist those who are still in need of short-term assistance. At that time, the relief center will transition staff and services to pre-disaster, local Red Cross chapter offices. All Red Cross assistance is free, available to all with verified, disaster-caused needs.

Flood and storm survivors in need of assistance to meet their basic and immediate needs or emotional support to cope with their losses are encouraged to call 1-866-GET-INFO through Friday, Dec. 21.

Starting on Saturday, Dec. 22, clients are asked to make an appointment with one of the following Red Cross offices.

Pacific County:

American Red Cross Southwest Washington Chapter

Pacific County Office

2870 Ocean Ave.

Raymond, WA 98577
Phone: 360-875-6012

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Grays Harbor County:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Grays Harbor Office

21 Clemons Rd. N
Montesano, WA 98563
Phone: (360) 249-2341

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lewis County:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Lewis County Office

1817 South Market Blvd.
Chehalis, WA 98532
Phone: (360) 748-4607

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Starting Wed., Dec. 26 – Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pierce County:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Tacoma Office

1235 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA 98409
Phone: (253) 474-0400

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thurston & Mason Counties:

American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter

Thurston-Mason Counties Office

2618 Twelfth Court SW
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: (360) 352-8575

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Starting Wed., Dec. 26 – Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

*Individuals living in North Mason County please contact the West Sound Office in Kitsap County.

Kitsap County:

American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties

West Sound Office

811 Pacific Ave.                                                     

Bremerton, WA 98337                                

Phone: (360) 377-3761

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. & Friday 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

*Individuals living in North Mason County please contact the West Sound Office

King County:

American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties

Headquarters

1900 25th Ave. South

Seattle, WA  98114-3097

Phone: (206) 323-2345

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Snohomish County:

American Red Cross Snohomish County Chapter

2530 Lombard Ave.

Everett, WA 98201

Phone: (425) 252-4103

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Clallam & Jefferson Counties:

American Red Cross Olympic Peninsula Chapter

151 Ruth’s Place
Sequim, WA 98382
Phone: (360) 457-7933

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

*Holiday Closures Will Be Posted at Each Office

In a small rural town near Chehalis, Wash, life revolves around the local high school – basketball games, fundraisers and parent-teacher conferences keep families and neighbors connected. And residents of Adna and the American Red Cross weren’t going to allow a flood to disrupt that tradition. Volunteers delivered warm meals to the Adna High School to give families a break from cleaning up their homes and property, visit with friends and learn about flood relief services available in the community. The more than 150 mud-caked boots that walked through the cafeteria doors symbolized this community’s resiliency and the tight-knit community the Red Cross is working so hard to restore.

During a recent community meeting in Rochester, Wash., Red Cross volunteer Zach Sullivan visited with a Thurston County family affected by the flood, helped them identify their needs and set priorities for their recovery. Red Cross caseworkers, in partnership with other community organizations, are offering assistance and advice to residents at more than a dozen town hall meetings scheduled this week in Southwest Washington.

Shelter residents and Red Cross workers took a minute to clown around with comedic entertainers from Yakima, Wash., and relieve some stress caused by last week’s flooding. The troop lifted spirits, brought joy and laughter for the dozens of families staying at Red Cross shelter in the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Chehalis, Wash.

Red Cross volunteer Susan Winters plays with children while parents receive flood relief assistance at the service center established at the Bethel Church in Chehalis, Wash. Last week’s events were undoubtedly frightening for adults, but they were especially traumatic for children. With the help of the local community and their families, the Red Cross is trying to restore daily routines to help children cope with their anxiety by providing a safe place to play and talk about their experiences. The simple act of playing with dolls and trucks, something they did regularly before the disaster, helps reduce their fears and gives them hope. Licensed mental health professionals are available to provide emotional support to children and adults afftected by the flood at all Red Cross sites in Southwest Washington.

By Lise Harwin, Marketing & Communications, American Red Cross – Oregon Trail Chapter 

It doesn’t take Superman to save lives in a small town. It just takes Clark Kent…or at least a guy with glasses.

Peter Williamson, a long-time volunteer with the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross, put those specs to good use on Tuesday, Dec. 4, after rainfall had ravaged Oregon’s coastal communities.

Peter was on a fact-finding mission along the lower Columbia River, assessing the status of several communities cut off from communication due to lack of telephone service. One stop along the way? Westport – a tiny town (population: 600-800) temporarily without drinking water.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only water-related threat facing Westport residents. Peter also spotted a small creek with a culvert that had been blocked with debris. The backed-up water had already flooded adjacent roads and a railroad line.

Knowing that the creek ran straight through the middle of town and could threaten several homes, Peter immediately made contact with the local volunteer fire department, whose members told him about a debris dam that had formed outside of town. If it collapsed, the waters had the potential to destroy the Westport community.

Thinking quickly, Peter used his ham radio to get in touch with the nearby Columbia County emergency operations center (EOC). The potential dam break was news to them, leaving Peter a town hero…even without the matching cape.

By Nick Samaniego, Media & Government Affairs, American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, on assignment in Oregon 

Beaverton, Ore. – Hard hitting disasters like the recent Northwest storms can knock communications for a loop. In Oregon, thousands of homes and businesses were left “power-less” – without utilities, telephones or any lines of communication to outside help.  Luckily, local residents in storm ravaged areas could depend on a handful of specially trained volunteers dedicated to an old-fashioned method of information sharing – ham radio. Anticipating that telephone lines, cell towers and internet connections in rural communities could be severely impaired, the Red Cross – in collaboration with CERT and other partners – pre-positioned ham radio operators and relied on them to deal with the multitude of storm-related crises. Amateur radio equipment can be used in disaster areas even when power is out and phone lines, relays and other communications systems are down because these radios run on their own battery or generator power. 

On the evening of Sunday, Dec. 2, alarming weather reports prompted Red Cross volunteer Scott Oerding to pack up his portable ham radio and overnight gear, and head to Tillamook to wait out the storm. A Portland resident of nearly 30 years and a seasoned volunteer with the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross, Scott met up with his crew of eight volunteer ham radio operators to determine where along the storm path they should locate operations in hopes of keeping the emergency dialogue going.   Though labeled an “amateur,” Scott would end up relaying dozens of routine emergency calls to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for Tillamook County like a real pro. Two cold, muddy, rain-soaked days into the operation, Scott’s skills were put to the test.

Taking advantage of a break in the clouds, Scott headed to the shelter’s parking lot for a breath of fresh air and a brief moment of peace. As he walked toward his vehicle, a mud-spattered pick-up tore into the driveway. “I stood watching, listening as the driver – a frantic woman in her fifties – stumbled out and began rambling about someone hurt and in need of help,” Scott explained. “She looked panicked and exhausted.” The woman went on to tell Scott about her injured neighbor. “My first instinct was to calm her down a bit and attempt to get as many details as possible before determining how to proceed,” he continued. By Scott’s account, the woman grew nervous and frustrated as she struggled to articulate just what had happened and who needed the medical help. He managed to figure out that an elderly man – the husband of the woman’s close acquaintance – had suffered a bad fall and required immediate medical attention. His condition was deteriorating rapidly. Scott reached for his hand-held radio, speaking into the mouthpiece with clear and concise bursts: “Emergency traffic for 9-1-1.” After multiple relay attempts and no response from the EOC, another ham operator answered the distress call. “I have a functional landline and can handle your traffic,” said the voice on the other end. Scott then delivered the essential information intended for the paramedics, easing the woman’s fears as she heard that professional medical help was on the way.   Less than fifteen minutes passed before the ambulance raced past the shelter en route to the home of the injured man.

Once on the scene, the EMTs trudged through mud and debris in the flooded home to stabilize the elderly gentleman before transporting him to a nearby medical facility. Over the airwaves, word reached Scott that the man had shattered his hip and did indeed require the immediate medical attention Scott was able to summon. “I let out a big sigh of relief knowing that we were able to get him the help he needed,” said Scott.  “Without these ham radios, I don’t know how else this man would have been saved.”

All material from ARC video crews is available for viewing and download via our FTP site.

To access the FTP site go to:

www.videobluemoon.com/login.php

In the e-mail address field, type oregonflood (as written: lower case – one word)

Password: redcross (again, as written)

In the index page that follows, just click on the link for the video you want to see.

A page will build (after a few moments) that includes a viewing frame with a still image from the video.  To view the video, just click on the image. QuickTime must be installed on the computer for this video to be seen. (most computers used by TV personnel will have it installed) It’s a free plug-in from Apple available at www.apple.com.

The video can either be viewed for preview, or downloaded by newsroom personnel for broadcast. The video is a MPEG-2 program stream file – high resolution for broadcast.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The American Red Cross would like to express its gratitude to for the generous support Oregonians are demonstrating by helping their neighbors affected by the recent flooding in Clatsop, Colombia, Coos, Lincoln, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties. Our disaster response volunteers are working long hours with community partners to continue meeting the needs of families impacted by these tragic events so close to the holidays.  

Your gifts translate directly into Red Cross services such as hot meals which are served two times a day from large kitchens in St. Helens and Tillamook directly into communities up and down the coast, along the Columbia River, and throughout inland regions where needs still exist.   Our caseworkers are meeting with families at four service centers in Astoria/Seaside, Clatskanie, Tillamook and Venonia. In remote areas, outreach teams are driving house-to-house to make sure every family has the opportunity to get the disaster-related assistance they need to move forward. Our nurses and mental health teams are supporting special needs as well. Donations are collected for people in need throughout the affected area, not for specific communities or counties. This ensures that all disaster victims will receive the assistance they need – even in areas outside the media spotlight, but no less important. All people affected by disasters large and small need Red Cross help. That is our humanitarian mission. For generous citizens wishing to designate their dollars to a specific town or county, please contact the local city hall or county commissioners. The Red Cross does not accept in-kind donations of clothing, food or other items at any of their shelters or service delivery sites.  

American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Northwest Floods, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster.  The American Red Cross honors donor intent.  If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation.  Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

He has been dubbed the “Red Cross Baby.” Dagoh Jackson Howell-Patron was born late in the evening on December, 9, weighing 7lbs. 4oz. and measuring 20.5 inches in length. The days surrounding his birth were anything but routine. His mother 20-year-old Jaci Howell, then nine months pregnant, put the blue clothes, toys and blankets she had been collecting in anticipation of his birth on top of her bed when the flooding started; it was the highest place she could find. Luckily, she was able to get out of the house by wading through water that quickly overtook her pregnant belly. She hoisted herself into a passing truck carrying other evacuees, grateful for the assistance from her neighbors but worried she was going to losing everything, including her unborn son. Concerned friends and family members cheered as the truck pulled into the Red Cross shelter parking lot, bringing the expectant mom to safety. Jaci was quickly provided with a warm place to stay for the four days leading up to his birth. A few days after being rescued and coincidently her due date, she visited the newly opened Red Cross assistance center in Chehalis, Wash., and with the help of its staff, she was able to put some of her worries away and focus on the miracle that was expected at anytime. Within hours of receiving help from the Red Cross for the second time that week, Jaci gave birth to her first son in a nearby hospital. One of the first phone calls she made after he was born was to her new Red Cross family to thank them for giving her a place for her and her son to go when they leave the hospital and start restoring what the flood took from them.