Red Cross Warns Virginia Residents as Hurricane Season Looms

It's never too early to start preparing for the worst, and with hurricane season fast approaching -- it runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 -- the American Red Cross is advising people throughout Virginia to stock up on essentials now.

Hurricanes may not seem like a big problem for most people in Virginia, but the reality is that the storms can cause significant damage and widespread power outages hundreds of miles inland -- and several storms this century have done just that.

"These are dangerous storms that can affect people living here in Virginia," Reginald E. Gordon, CEO for the American Red Cross Virginia Region, said in a statement. "It’s time to get ready now, before a storm threatens."

The best way to prepare is simply to make sure you have an emergency kit on hand. A good kit would include a gallon of water per person per day, plenty of non-perishable food, flashlights, battery-powered radios, first aid kits, medications, supplies for an infant if you have one, personal hygiene items, a multi-purpose tool, cash and important papers, blankets, maps of the area, emergency contact information, a cell phone charger and, of course, lots and lots of batteries. You can buy most of these items at the Red Cross Store at redcrossstore.org.

But it's not just about having the right supplies on hand -- you also need to be able to work as a team with the rest of your household. Practice an evacuation plan with members of your household, which would minimize confusion in the event you are trapped in a dangerous storm. Also, find out about the community's hurricane response plan, and determine the routes to local shelters.

The American Red Cross offers emergency alerts on your mobile phone through the Red Cross Emergency App.

If you already have a disaster kit, check that the food and water is still fine to consume, and that your documents are up to date.

Hurricanes have caused big problems in Virginia before, and not just along the coast in the Hampton Roads area.

In 2004, Hurricane Gaston dumped a foot of rain on Richmond as a tropical storm, completely flooding the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood and causing $130 million in damage and nine deaths.

Just a year before, Hurricane Isabel produced hurricane-strength wind gusts in Richmond, blowing down thousands of trees and knocking out power for 2 million people. It caused $1.85 billion in damage and resulted in 36 deaths.

Image via Wikimedia