As storm preparations ramp up across the state, some Wake County families are finding help in an unexpected place.
Soon-to-be Tropical Storm Imelda is expected to have an impact on North Carolina on Monday, and Wake County leaders are urging families to prepare.
Wake County Emergency Management partnered with library branches across the county on Saturday to give away free emergency preparedness kits.
“I came to check out some books for my classroom and for my little ones,” said Kieanna Dewhart, who was visiting Oberlin Regional Library.
She learned about the free kit giveaway after grabbing some books for her kids.
“Typically, I make sure I have enough food in my house [and] make sure I have battery-operated candles, because I do have little ones. Make sure I have enough water, extra blankets, and make sure that all the laundry is done,“ she said.
With the latest tropical system moving in, it’s important to have your family storm kits ready.
Make sure your important documents are gathered in one place where you can easily grab and go, such as copies of your ID, insurance, and banking information.
Pack non-perishable food items, like canned goods, granola bars, nuts, dry foods, and cereal. All things that are safe to eat in the event of a power loss.
Don’t forget the first aid kit and medications.
If you have children, be sure to have a grab bag of supplies like diapers and medicine, or toys, books, and games. And for your pets: food, water, a leash, and a carrier.
Also, you would want to grab cash just in case the power grid goes out and you’re not able to use ATMs.
Lastly, Electronics–make sure you have batteries and access to extra chargers.
“We make sure we’ve got bottled water on hand. If we know that it’s actually going to hit us, then we usually fill up the bathtub.
We make sure there’s a place for our animals. We’ve got dogs and cats,” said Tammy Freeman, who lives in Raleigh.
She said, unfortunately, she’s all too familiar with the impacts of storm season.
“There was a tornado that came through about 15 years ago, and a tree came down on our house. And so, you know, we have our plan together,” said Freeman.
While families are getting their things in order for this latest storm, emergency response teams are doing the same.
“We’ve been preparing for about four days, getting our teams on standby. We have several shelter teams on standby,” said James Jarvis, the Regional Disaster Officer for the American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross has mobilized over 120 volunteers and dozens of their 400 emergency response vehicles, capable of feeding up to 2,000 people daily.
“We’ve been working very closely with emergency management at the county level, as well as with the state. So that way, we’re prepared to support anything that our community needs as they prepare for this dangerous storm,” Jarvis said.
The path of the storm is still very complex, which is why teams have to be prepared to respond anywhere in the state.
“So we’re presently in Raleigh, coordinating our efforts to make sure that we can support the coast. We can also support the mountains, just in case we get significant rainfall there in an area that’s not really built for it, as we learned from Helene last year,” Jarvis added.
He emphasized the importance of having a seven-day emergency kit.
Families are thankful the county is making resources accessible to everyone by handing out free kits at the library.
“I think it’s very important, because a lot of people are single moms, which I am a single mom, and if I didn’t work in the school system, I probably wouldn’t be as prepared as I am,” said Dewhart.
“I think that’s a wonderful thing, because there are people that move into Raleigh and Wake County every day, and this may be their first experience with something, and they need to know what to do,” added Freeman.
The American Red Cross is urging residents to take the storm seriously. Make a kit. Have a plan and stay informed.
Jarvis encourages community members to download emergency communication apps during natural disasters.
“The American Red Cross Emergency App will tell you where service delivery is happening in your community right now. So if you find yourself evacuating, you get stuck on the highway, all the hotels are full, you can open up your free Red Cross emergency app, and it will tell you where a local shelter is and whether it’s pet-friendly and whether they have capacity for you,” Jarvis said.