February 7, 2014 in Disaster Response
Stay Safe in an Ice Storm
LDR-EPA has been busy following the Feb. 4-5 ice storm and related power outages. The best way to keep up with the latest opportunities and information related to LDR-EPA is to follow Lutheran Congregational Services on Facebook. In the meantime, check on neighbors, report dangerous conditions, donate to your local food bank, and let LDR-EPA know how your congregation is involved.
From Julia Menzo, Lutheran Disaster Response in Eastern PA:
We have been busy since the ice storm hit our region this past week! It quickly became apparent that the power outages were much worse than anticipated. Some of the things we’ve been doing have included convening conference calls for Southeastern Pennsylvania VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). These calls bring together County Emergency Management, PEMA, FEMA, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Southern Baptists, Team Rubicon and others to share information on warming center locations, outstanding needs, and important messages to convey to the general public.
Here are some things you can do right now:
- Report power and heat outages to your energy provider and to your local municipality. For other property damage, remember to take pictures of damage and report to your insurance company and to your local municipality. Please check on neighbors who may not have power. Stay away from downed wires.
- If you have heat, offer your home as a place to stay for friends and family who don’t.
- Give to your local food bank.
- If your congregation or community group or business is or had opened doors as a warming or charging center, thank you! And please let us at LDR-EPA know! We can share the information so more people are aware of the service, and it helps us and others learn from what you have done.
The best way to keep up with the latest opportunities and information related to LDR-EPA is to follow Lutheran Congregational Services on Facebook. We anticipate volunteer opportunities for debris cleanup in the coming weeks! Click here to Follow LCS on Facebook.
