Folks, this is exactly the kind of disaster we all prepare for. If you're not in the affected area, then you're probably wondering what to do to help.
Let's start with the easy:
1. Don't call anyone there. The phone trunks lines are burning, the cell system is imploded, whatever capacity is in the affected area is needed for rescue and evacuee coordination.
2. If you MUST contact someone, use a text message to their cell phone. It takes less bandwidth, and has a "retry" method built in.
3. Send money (not clothes, not materials) to the Red Cross.
- Call 1-800-RED CROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)
- Make at secure, online donation at
www.redcross.org.- Contact your local Red Cross chapter
- Mail a Donation to:
American Red Cross
PO Box 4002018
Des Moines, IA 50340-2018
4. Re-Think your GO plans after you read this:
"We began a simple gathering of important articles "just in case" but had no real evacuation plan, as we never thought it would make it to Poway" http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/23/gallen.fire/index.html?iref=mpstoryviewLet's not bust his chops for the fact that he packed an XBOX and DVD's and didn't pack any WATER....but read it to the end, it's a good look at what you're up against out there.
OK, now let's consider the 1,000 homes destroyed - if there's 4 people in each home, that's 4,000 new homeless people, and there are 300,000 displaced people, and we don't know how long before the fire runs out of fuel (hopefully soon), so at this point, it's a pretty big deal to figure out what to DO with 300,000 evacuees.
They are already calling for FOOD AND WATER because they are running out...so as I've said many times - water, water, water and more water. So important to maintain the water supplies - all the rest you can scrounge or do without.
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