Thursday, January 12, 2012 — The American Red Cross is responding in Texas and North Carolina after unusual January tornadoes touched down, and is prepared to offer help as a winter storm moves toward the Northeast.

Be Red Cross Ready - Tornado Safety Checklist

In North Carolina, numerous injuries were reported and multiple homes damaged or destroyed after at least two tornadoes touched down. The Red Cross opened a shelter, describing the area as “packed with emergency vehicles and people needing help.”

In Texas, possible tornadoes and flash flooding in the Houston and Galveston areas stranded motorists, caused a mall roof to collapse and left thousands without power. The Red Cross provided shelter and food for those affected by the Texas storm.

As people begin to clean up after the rare January tornadoes, the Red Cross has safety steps they should follow:

• Return home only when authorities say it is safe to do so.
• Wear long pants, a long­-sleeved shirt and sturdy shoes when examining your home for damage.
• Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines and report them to the utility company immediately.
• Stay out of damaged buildings.
• Use battery­-powered flashlights when examining buildings—do NOT use candles.
• If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and get everyone out of the building quickly and call the gas company or fire department.

As residents of the South clean up after the storms there, all eyes are on a winter storm expected to bring heavy snow and freezing rain to portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast over the next couple of days. The Red Cross urges residents to watch this storm and get prepared for the winter weather.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog athttp://blog.redcross.org.R