Hundreds of motorists were trapped in their vehicles last October after mudslides in Kern County shut down traffic on Highway 58 in the Central Valley.
It’s a scene the Red Cross’ Jessica Piffero remembers vividly.
Torrential rain in the area had brought a cascade of mud and debris onto the roadway, with some areas being swamped in up to 20 feet of mud.
Piffero and other Red Cross staff and volunteers worked to set up shelters with meals and towels for people trapped in the area.
“They didn’t have food or water,” she said. “They were trapped for hours.”
Piffero works for Red Cross as communications director for the Central California Region, which includes Santa Barbara County.
Recalling the detail of last fall’s mudslide underscores the need for people to prepare ahead of time for emergencies.
As more El Niño rains loom, Piffero explained how the organization mobilizes so quickly and gave some tips on what people can do to prepare.
The Red Cross recently activated a shelter locally during the Solimar Fire, and displaced residents were able to seek shelter at the Carpinteria Veterans Memorial Building.
The organization is preparing year-round for disasters.
“We’re always staying busy,” she said. “We are here for the large disasters, but we are responding to home fires on a daily basis.”
The organization is also working to find locations that can host shelters and services should the need arise.
Since the Red Cross doesn’t own these facilities, they work to find locations at schools and churches for disaster relief.
Prepping response trailers and taking inventory of supplies during the “blue sky” times help the organizations be ready for the gray sky situations, Piffero said.
When a disaster does occur, the Red Cross is notified by local authorities, and the organization moves to immediately activate a shelter location.
“We’ll start making those phone calls to activate the shelters,” she said.
Volunteers in charge of care and feeding and public affairs will begin work with local public information officers, to make sure the same message is shared.
“It’s a lot going on very quickly. It can be hectic,” she said.
“The Red Cross has been doing this for centuries really. It’s something impressive to see.”
Piffero cautions people to be sure they have emergency kits in their vehicles and homes. Making sure your home has flood insurance, and that it is the right amount of coverage, is also key.
“Get it before you need it,” she said.
Every time Piffero talks to a family who has lost their home to fire or flood, there’s one thing they miss the most.
“The thing they are most upset about losing are the personal items, like photos,” she said.
She encourages people to take a free weekend and scan in family photos, as well as legal documents, and store them on a thumb drive or in the cloud for safekeeping.
People should also think about special needs during an emergency, like diapers or formula needed for infants, food for pets and any prescription drugs that might be needed.
“It makes everybody’s life easier,” she said.
Visit Ready.gov or the Santa Barbara County Aware & Prepare websites to get more information about emergency supplies and readiness kits.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
