Hurricane aftermath question????

[lizdotcom99]

I have not been able to get a hold of my mom since yesterday as she is out of talk and go minutes on her cell phone.....I know they were not very well prepared for the storm and now without power for at least the next 10 days.......are there shelters that will provide food and water while they wait for stores to open to get the goods they need? I am working on putting together a care package, but was reminded that mail may not even be deliverable..........any thoughts on this? My overactive imagination has gone into overtime!!!!

 

[mum4jenn]

I dont know how they will do it there but 10 years ago when we went through a really bad flood we had to go pick up our mail at the post office. There was usually a long line and we couldnt go everyday. We were cut offf from most of the town for a couple of weeks and only had a small substation of a post office. All the bridges were not accessable so it took several hours for the mail to come to this side of town while they had to make a 6 hour out of the way trek to make what normally would have been a 20 minute drive. I dont know if their post office was destroyed or not but I am sure they will either let folks pick up mail from there or they will set up something at a location that would work. The post office is pretty good about trying to get folks their mail.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

Liz I believe FEMA sets up cantinas of sorts for people to get food and water. You might try calling the red cross there and finding out what they are doing for people. I know FEMA had whole tent cities down here when Andrew hit. People slept and showered and ate there.

Mail service is usually the last thing to get reestablished especially if the post office was damaged. You could also ask the red cross about this. They might know if there is service in her area if the damage was not too bad.

 

[bsnyder]

I'm not familiar with the talk and go phones, but is there any way you can purchase more minutes from your end, on your credit card, for her to use?

 

[jennyanydots]

does the Red Cross still help you contact family members?

 

[Talking Hands]

Salvation Army and Red Cross will be providing meals and water as well as National Guard Mash units. Shelters are probably still open until they can get tent cities set up for those who lost homes. Various church gropups also are headed out to help. We have a group from our church leaving tomorrow or the next day.
It won't be the most pleasant experience but they will be provided for.
I remember after Andrew having no medication because all my extra was in the house and destroyed. Went to the MASH unit and was supplied with a full month worth including strips and syringes and given a tetanus shot too as a precaution.

 

[Talking Hands]

Originally posted by lvs_eeyore
Mail service is usually the last thing to get reestablished especially if the post office was damaged. You could also ask the red cross about this. They might know if there is service in her area if the damage was not too bad.

Actually mail was one of the first things we got back after Andrew. It was out of a tent on the Coast Guard Base and we had to go pick it up but we had mail service about a week after Andrew.

 

[mrsdash]

I went through Hugo in 1989 and there were many places to get food, shelter, water, etc. I will never forget the out pouring of help and support that arrived within hours. My prayers are with all of them.{hugs}mrsdash

 

[EpcotKilterFan]

Originally posted by jennyanydots
does the Red Cross still help you contact family members?

Yes they do. You can call 1-800 Help Now or call your local chapter.

They may or may not take the Disaster Welfare Inquiry since you have heard from them, but let them know the situation and have all of their contact information; address, phone number, place of business if they work.

Good luck!!

Debbie