These Red Cross Programs Will Help You Survive Sharknado 5

Since 2013, one of the biggest concerns for the U.S. has become the Sharknado. These menacing tornadoes lift man-eating sharks from the water into the sky and toss them into the streets of various cities. After creating havoc in Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Florida, and Las Vegas, the upcoming Sharknado will have a global effect, beginning August 6. It is predicted that multiple Sharknadoes will strike in cities all around the world. Officials have stated that no country is safe from this ‘global swarming.’

The Red Cross is an organization largely known for the assistance they provide during and after large disasters, but the Red Cross also promotes and encourages disaster preparedness, so residents can be more physically and mentally equipped to handle these emergencies. Here are five Red Cross programs that will help you become a Sharknado hero like Fin Shepard and friends.

Home Fire Campaign
If you are a someone who has who has taken advantage of our Home Fire Campaign, you already have some training that can help you survive a Sharknado. The Home Fire Campaign was created in an effort to reduce injury and loss of life due to home fires through the installation of free smoke alarms and fire safety education provided by trained Red Cross volunteers.

As part of the fire safety education, it is suggested that residents create a fire escape plan. Similarly, in case of a Sharknado, a shark escape plan is necessary.

To learn more about creating fire escape plans, read this list of tips developed by the Red Cross.

The Pillowcase Project
Children are a critical component of disaster preparedness. With The Pillowcase Project, children learn how to prepare for natural disasters, like Sharknadoes, through an interactive presentation with trained Red Crossers. Afterward, they receive a pillowcase that they can decorate and use to create their own personal emergency supply kits.

Refer to last year’s Sharknado survival guide for a list of essentials you need to build your own emergency Sharknado kit.

Red Cross Training and Classes
Receiving Sharknado preparedness education has never been easier than with the Red Cross’s Citizen Preparedness Corps. This free course will provide basic information about common disasters and provide ways to prepare, respond, and recover from them. Register today to learn what to do when a Sharknado strikes in your neighborhood.

Taking a first aid class through the Red Cross might also be a good idea in case you or a loved one cannot seek immediate treatment for a shark bite or other Sharknado-related injuries. The information you learn in this class can be useful in everyday life long after the Sharknado leaves your neighborhood.

Blood Services
The American Red Cross strives to ensure that every person in need of blood has their needs met. For obvious reasons Sharknadoes can increase demand for blood.

However, the Red Cross is currently facing a critical blood shortage and is issuing an emergency call for eligible blood and platelet donors of all blood types to give now and help save lives. Before the Sharknado arrives, find a local blood drive to help the Red Cross maintain sufficient blood supply.

Emergency Services
If your home is destroyed or you have to evacuate your home during the upcoming Sharknado, you can find refuge at a local Red Cross shelter. The shelters will also provide food, water and physical and mental health services. In addition, Red Cross volunteers can help locate family members separated during the shark disaster.

To find a nearby Red Cross shelter, iPhone and Android owners can download the Red Cross Emergency app.

A large percentage of the programs and services provided by the Red Cross are led and conducted by volunteers. They are an important part of our mission and our disaster response. If you would like to get more involved and help those in need in your community during the Sharknado, you can apply to become a Red Cross volunteer.

Important Red Cross PSA: Top 6 #Sharknado4 Survival Tips

Meteorologists are saying that a fourth Sharknado is about to hit the United States. As we all remember, the Great Sharknado of 2014 (Sharknado: The Second One) was a true tragedy that completely wrecked New York City. Luckily for us, and sadly for them, this time it appears the upcoming Sharknado will be hitting Las Vegas on July 31. For those of you who were lucky enough to miss the last three Sharknados, a Sharknado is a tornado that carries sharks from the water and flings these deadly creatures around various cities. As this inevitable storm approaches we are here to give you tips on how to survive a Sharknado, or any other major disaster.

Tip 1: Make an Emergency Communications Plan

We suggest getting as far away from Finn Shepard as you can during a Sharknado. Since Finn and sharks seem to go together almost as much as peanut butter and jelly, staying away from him might be your best safety plan. Even if you have managed to avoid Mr.Shepard you should still make a communications plan with your friends and family. You should have two designated spots to meet -- one right outside your home, and one outside your neighborhood in case your house gets destroyed by falling sharks. As with any emergency, local phone lines tend to get overloaded or go out of service, because of this, the Red Cross suggests you have contacts outside your immediate area -- long distance calls will be easier to make. Trust us, you will want to know where your friends and family are when the sharks start raining down.

Tip 2: Have a Sharknado Preparedness Kit

Due to the randomness of the weather phenomenon, it is important to have an emergency Sharknado preparedness kit on hand because you never know when a shark may attack. Although we know from previous Sharknados that having chainsaws and lasers are key to beating the sharks, you may want to have some other supplies handy as well. Hopefully a spacesuit will not be needed for this storm since those are hard to come by. Here are some essential items to put in your emergency kit:

• Potable Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home) 
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit (We will talk about this more in detail later.)
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Map(s) of the area
• Emergency blanket (to pull over your head when a shark is heading your direction)

Tip 3: Know your Flood Zone

Sharknados bring heavy rainfall and flooding with them. To avoid becoming a midnight snack for the sharks, check the New York City Office of Emergency Management’s evacuation zone map to find the shelters closest to you.

Tip 4: Download free Red Cross Disaster Apps

Download the free American Red Cross emergency mobile apps for iPhone and Android for tornado, flood and hurricane alerts, as well as first aid information and more. When severe weather (and/or sharks) loom, you want to stay informed. Our mobile apps provide lifesaving tips and real-time information about severe weather threats. These apps are available in English and Spanish.

Tip 5: Take First Aid Training and Assemble a First Aid Kit

In a Sharknado simple first aid skills are just as important for life saving as chainsaw skills are. You’ll need to perform some basic first aid techniques when others have been wounded fending off sharks or if family members have been injured while evacuating. Having a first aid kit ready is also helpful. You can find a premade kit from the Red Cross Store. If you decide to assemble your own first aid kit, make sure to include the following items: 

• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• 1 roll of adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
• 1 blanket (space blanket)
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of non-latex gloves (size: large)
• 2 hydro-cortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Oral thermometer (non-mercury/non-glass)
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet

Tip 6: Take a Citizens Preparedness Training Class

The 2014 Sharknado inspired New York state officials to begin a free online Citizens Preparedness Training program open to all residents. For those that have never practiced preparedness, this training gives a comprehensive review of how to prepare for all kinds of common disasters, what to do when disaster strikes, and what actions you can take to help recover.

After completing all of these steps you will be prepared for a Sharknado, and any other type of disaster. Good luck out there.

*This post is based around a real movie based on a fictional event. These tips are real.

Lessons Learned: 6 Steps You Can Take to Prepare For and Survive Sharknado 3

By Alice Ding & Matthew Hurst

This week marks the one year anniversary since Sharknado 2 invaded New York City. For those who don’t remember the phenomenon, a Sharknado is a tornado which scoops up sharks and flings them from the sky in every direction. As the latest storm, Sharknado 3*, hits the entire East Coast on July 22, we've updated last year's survival guide with lessons learned from past storms that can help keep you safe in any emergency.

1) Take the Citizens Preparedness Training Class

In the wake of last summer’s Sharknado, New York state officials responded by developing a free online Citizens Preparedness Training program open to all residents. For those that have never practiced preparedness, this training gives a comprehensive review of how to prepare for all kinds of common disasters (even Sharknados*), what to do when disaster strikes, and what actions you can take to help recover.

To take the online training and/or schedule an in-person training session for a community group, please visit our website.

2) Make an Emergency Communications Plan

Emergency preparedness always begins with making a communications plan. As we learned from the previous storms, these sharks are not friendly messengers. During Sharknado 2 we learned the story of one family reunited by agreeing to meet at the same location. Regardless of when Sharknado 3 storms across the coast, you’ll need to know where your family and friends will go and how to meet them. 

As in any emergency situation, you should have contacts outside of the city. During an emergency, local phone lines might be overloaded or out of service with the flooding which a Sharknado brings. In many cases, it’s often easier to call long distance, helping everyone know when you’re safe.

3) Build an Emergency Preparedness Kit

Because these sharks will try to bite, it’s crucial to have a survival kit ready. We learned from the first Sharknado is that having a chainsaw is essential for cutting sharks in half and escaping from inside a shark should you be eaten whole.

Here are some other essential items you might want to include in your emergency kit:

• Potable Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home).
  Just it keep away from the waterfront.
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit (We will talk about this more in detail later.)
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Map(s) of the area
• Emergency blanket (to pull over your head when a shark is heading your direction)

4) Know your Flood Zone

Sharknados cause heavy rainfall which floods the streets, sometimes accompanied by storm surges as well. To avoid becoming a midnight snack for the sharks, check the New York City Office of Emergency Management’s evacuation zone map to find the shelters closest to you.

5) Download free Red Cross Disaster apps

After planning using the prior steps, download the free American Red Cross emergency mobile apps on iOS and Android smartphones for tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, first aid and more. When severe weather looms, you want to stay informed.

Our mobile apps provide lifesaving tips and real-time information about severe weather threats. In fact a recent update to our Tornado app will play an audible siren whenever the NOAA issues a tornado/sharknado warning in the NYC metro area. Download these apps in English or Spanish.

6) Take First Aid Training

Every hero needs to take Red Cross first aid classes. You’ll need to perform some basic first aid techniques when others have been wounded fighting sharks or when your family members have been injured while evacuating. 

Having a first aid kit ready is also helpful during Sharknados. You can purchase a premade kit from the Red Cross Store, and if you choose to assemble your own first aid kit, make sure to include the following items:

• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
• 1 blanket (space blanket)
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
• 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide) + 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches) + 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet

By following these tips, you and your family should be safe during the next Sharknado. Like any severe weather condition, the key is to be prepared — and remember to avoid falling sharks!

*Of course Sharknado is a fictional event, but our tips will still help you in real-life emergency situations!