If you are a victim of a major disaster, please remember this telephone number. 1-866-GET- INFO. It's a toll-free call that will put you in touch with the American Red Cross. The agent you talk with will have at their fingertips, the latest up to date information on the locations of Shelters and Service Centers. Responders from the surrounding area can also call so they will know where comic relief is needed.

A second point to remember is that if you are a victim of a major disaster, ask the agent to enroll you in the "Safe and Well" program. It is a free service offered by the ARC. Your name, address (before the disaster) and phone number are logged into their computer, along with a short message telling your loved ones that you are OK. People can log into the RedCross.org. and search the Safe and Well web site. It is a great way to get the word out to family.

Prepare for this unpleasant possibility by identifying vital documents for yourself and your family. Keep them in a location that will be easy to "grab and go". Depending upon size you might also consider which are irreplaceable items that can be put into a grab and go bag or backpack. Decide this ahead of time. Take a few minutes to discuss this with your family. They need to know where these items are and the importance of taking them with you.

Know where all the medications are that the family uses and make sure you have them if you need to evacuate. Would a rescuer know the "medic alert" conditions of your family? Do these people carry current ID information about medical conditions? If not, update those. It would be helpful to have a list of medications all of your family uses, particularly those that must be taken on schedule.

Plan family safety in the same way you might for a fire. Discuss and agree on where to go, how to stay in contact with each other and where to meet if separated. If your planning includes taking cover at home, as in a basement or other sheltered location, have bottled water and canned foods and flashlights in that place. A weather radio is highly recommended, preferably one that you can set for your location (SAME). If you have cans that need to be opened you had better have a manual can opener. Electricity is often cut off.

weather radio

Pins and Patches

The orders are still coming in for the Red Nose Response pins and patches. We continue to get requests for information about how to purchase them so here goes.

The pins and patches are $5.00 each with a small shipping and handling charge. The shipping for a patch is $1.00, because it can go in a paper envelope. The shipping for a pin or a combined order that includes a pin is $2.00. The Postal Service has changed how they rate these as packages.

All orders need to be prepaid. You can do this by writing a check to Red Nose Response and mailing it to Bob and Teresa Gretton, P.O. Box 787, Waldorf MD 20604-0787.

We are also offering a 10% discount on the pins and patches (not the shipping costs however) for an order of three (3) or more. If you are uncertain of what you want or what the total cost might be, send an email to teresa@rednoseresponse.org and she will have an quick answer for you.

1. Update your CPR and First Aid skills- NOW

Many of us have taken first aid and CPR classes at one time or another but if you don't use it regularly you need a refresher. Even those of us who are health care professionals need to renew our skills. Hospital experience is fine as long as the equipment is there but your first aid skills needed at the time of a disaster will most likely not be the ones used in a hospital. They could be needed at almost any other setting you can think of and you need to know what to do, how to do it and what not to do.

These courses are offered in many locations in every community through the Red Cross, at the Y, at your firehouse or rescue squad. Call these places now and enroll in the next scheduled class. You can never be too prepared. Knowing what to do and how can help you keep a clear head with an emergency occurs.

1. Document your home and possessions

Document your home and possessions with digital photos saved to disks. In the event that your home is damaged or destroyed you will find yourself trying to list everything you had and its value. Receipts will probably be long gone, burned or washed away. You will find yourself trying to recall where everything was and it adds to the shock and sense of loss at that time.

Save all of your home and possessions in a digital form. It's not hard and it doesn't take long. Your digital camera (or borrow one) will show what you had, where it was and the condition it was in. Then all you need to do is copy those images to a disk and store that in a safe place. It might be a good idea to make two copies and send one to a close relative for safekeeping. It will make your reports to the insurance company a lot easier.

Do you have pets? How can you plan for their safety? Some shelters do not allow pets and this was a major concern when Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans area. Consider your pets and their safety, including medications they may need.

Use your cell phone judiciously since you don't know when you might need to recharge the battery and have no source of electricity. However, notify key family members if you are threatened or will have to evacuate and let one of them be the contact person for other family members.

Keep you cars' gas tanks full in spite of high gas costs. Those few extra gallons might make the difference in getting to safety.

There ARE Ways You Can Help Now

TobyKID gave a first hand account of his recent sandbagging in Iowa through clowns Yahoo group and suggested sources where you can donate funds for the recovery efforts. We have listed these here for you but please verify with the recipient institution before making a donation.

Important advice from the Red Cross, which learned lessons after Hurricane Katrina, is that you need to specify where you want your donation to be applied. For instance, a check to the American Red Cross should show on the "FOR" (or "memo") line: Midwest Disaster Relief Fund. If funds are just directed to Disaster Relief they can go anywhere and may not assist the area you had in mind.

Here are the suggestions from TobyKID Direct financial donations can be made at the following institutions: 1. Lincoln Savings Bank 1-319-267-2742 or 1 (866) 235-2098. c/o Carol Rewerts PO Box 326 Allison, IA 50602 2. First State Bank-Conrad 1-877-610-3303 120 West Center Conrad, IA 50621 3. Iowa State Bank (Parkersburg office open) 1-319-346-1226 PO Box 250 Parkersburg, IA 50665 4. Security State Bank 1-319-885-4327 PO Box 430 Shell Rock, IA 50670 Please mark Tornado relief on your check

*Iowa Concern Hotline* Donations of goods call (800) 447-1985. They will be asked to provide contact information and a description of the goods or services they want to provide. When the appropriate need arises, residents will be notified.

*Salvation Army* The Salvation Army is accepting financial donations to help Iowa's disaster victims. You can contribute by phone or online. To contribute, call (800) SAL ARMY or click the "donate now" link on www.salvationarmy.org . Donors should specify that their gift is for Iowa relief.

*American Red Cross* The American Red Cross is accepting financial donations. To give, call (800) RED CROSS, or click the "donate" link at http://www.redcross.org

This is one concern that we have not heard a lot about and although it is addressed locally in this instance, it applies to any disaster area. Debris from the Iowa tornadoes has been found as far west as LaCrosse Wisconsin. Butler County officials are asking that anyone in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin who has found documents or other debris from the tornadoes send it to: Butler County Courthouse PO Box 325 Allison, IA 50602 The county will hold onto the items. Eventually, residents will be able to see whether any of their property is being held. But "for right now, we're just going to be a receiving station," said Holly Fokkena, the county's auditor and public information officer.