Flooding – Gold Country News and Notes

Red Cross Continues to Respond as Bomb Cyclone Impacts California

This information was last updated on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8:00 a.m. Please check back regularly for updates.

Flooding, along with the potential for power outages and landslides, will impact the state through this weekend into next week. The American Red Cross has mobilized resources and is collaborating with government and community partners to respond to this storm. Nearly 400 Red Cross workers from across the country, along with shelters and supplies, have been activated to accommodate residents evacuated from their homes.

This online story map offers a look at the ongoing response to California floods; this map is updated as more information and stories from the ground are available.

Statewide Red Cross, County and Partner Shelter Information by County:

Everyone is welcome at a Red Cross shelter. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free. Current list denotes open shelters managed and/or supported by the Red Cross, county or community partners.

Amador County
- Evelynn-Bishop Hall (located in Charles Howard Park)
  - 701 CA-124, Ione, CA 95640. MAP
Santa Clara County
- Seven Trees Community Center
  - 3590 Cas Drive, San Jose, CA 95111. MAP
- Camden Community Center
  - 3369 Union Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124. MAP
- San Martin Lions Club
  - 12415 Murphy Avenue, San Martin, CA 95046. MAP
San Mateo County
- San Mateo County Event Center
  - 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo, CA 94403. MAP
Santa Cruz County
- Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds – JJ Crosetti Building, Fine Arts and Harvest Hall
  - 2601 E. Lake Avenue, Watsonville, CA 95076. MAP
- Cabrillo College – Cafeteria
  - 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003. MAP
Merced County
- Merced County Fairgrounds – Yosemite Hall, Half Dome Hall, Pavilion Hall
  - 900 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Merced, CA 95341.MAP
- Merced County Spring Fair
  - 403 F Street, Los Banos, CA 93635. MAP
- Atwater City Community Center
  - 760 E. Bellevue Road, Atwater, CA 95301. MAP
Monterey County
- Prunedale Grange Hall
  - 17890 Moro Road, Salinas, CA 93907. MAP
- Monterey County Fairgrounds-Monterey Hall
  - 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA 93940. MAP
- King City High School
  - 720 Broadway Street, King City, CA 93930. MAP
- Sherwood Hall
  - 940 North Main Street, Salinas, CA 93906. MAP
Sacramento County
- California State Fairgrounds-Cal Expo
  - 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815. MAP
Stanislaus County
- Yolo Middle School
  - 901 Hoyer, Newman, CA 95360. MAP
Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Tulare and Ventura Counties

Click here for an updated list of all shelters.

Safety Information and How You Can Help

Pack your emergency kit, know your routes and destinations, and listen to the advice of emergency officials. Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for real-time weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and expert advice on storms and flooding. Search “American Red Cross” wherever you download apps or go to redcross.org/apps.

Flooding Safety

Stay off the roads and away from floodwaters. If you must drive, avoid flooded roadways. If power lines are down, call 9-1-1 and don’t approach or step in any puddles or standing water near the downed lines.
Follow evacuation orders and don’t return home until officials say it is safe to do so.
Use caution when cleaning up your home and wear protective clothing, including rubber gloves and boots. Throw out items that absorb water and can’t be disinfected, and dispose of all food, drinks and medications that have either spoiled or been damaged.
For more information, visit redcross.org/flood.

Landslide Safety

Stay informed about the risk of landslides in your area. Most landslides are caused by events like heavy rain, snowmelt, earthquakes or wildfires.
If you suspect you are in danger, evacuate immediately. Take your pets with you, inform your neighbors and contact emergency officials.
Listen for unusual sounds like trees cracking or boulders knocking together that could indicate moving debris.
For more information, visit redcross.org/landslide.

Blood During Disasters

The Red Cross is working to maintain a stable blood supply amid the threat of storms and winter weather across the country, as severe weather often causes widespread blood drive cancellations. Where it is safe to do so, we encourage donors to make and keep blood donation appointments by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Help Those in Need

You can help people affected by disasters like storms and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Sign Up to Volunteer

While volunteering needs are in flux as the current weather event passes through our region, we are likely going to need more volunteers to support our response in the coming days. Be on the lookout for more information on ways you can help as needs evolve!

Stay Up-to-Date on Social Media

Updated information on the Red Cross response to this storm, and preparedness information is continually updated on regional social media channels. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @ARCGoldCountry. We’re on LinkedIn here.

Gold Country Volunteer Making an Impact Across the Country

Hen jeremiah 6 ry Braxton was among the first to assist the American Red Cross when he and his neighbors were caught in the path of rising water in the Natchez, Louisiana, area. Every day for nearly a week, he did whatever he could do to lend a hand, from helping to distribute cleanup kits to showing volunteers flood-damaged areas.

“The Bible says put my hometown first and put myself last, and I think God will bless me for that,” Henry said one recent evening at the Morning Star Baptist Church in Natchez, where the Red Cross offered hot meals, cleanup supplies, emotional support and casework assistance.

He was among dozens who attended, but he wasn’t there to seek help. Rather, he assisted people carrying cleanup supplies and other items to their vehicles.

Inside the church, Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out a Red Cross challenge coin that he received for his efforts—a coin that few receive and even fewer have ever seen. When he displayed the coin, it was obvious to Red Cross volunteers that Henry was a person who had been singled out for recognition.

“It was a high honor and brought tears to my eyes. I was just doing the best I could to help the people needing help,” he said.

Henry, a big man with rippling muscles and an infectious smile, said his late mother raised him to be kind to others and to go to church. To honor her, Henry said his philosophy is simple: “Any way I can help out, I will.”

As he talked, it was clear that Henry deserved more than the thanks of a grateful Red Cross. Henry said he hadn’t signed up with the Red Cross for help, and with that, he

jeremiah 3 — Jeremiah Norrell, a volunteer from Sacramento assisting Henry in Louisiana

was introduced to Jeremiah Norrell, a Red Cross Jeremiah Norrell, a Red Cross caseworker from the Sacramento, California area. Henry explained how he had lost his refrigerator, stove and furniture to rising water, which soaked his floors. Yet he hadn’t asked for anything.

Henry indeed qualified for Red Cross immediate assistance, as he and Jeremiah together checked a map to see that his home was in a flooded area. He was eligible for supplemental Red Cross assistance and in position to be referred to various partner agencies for things such as clothing and furniture.

As he left, Henry stopped and hugged volunteers who helped him get assistance. When he walked out the door, he turned around, waved and smiled before disappearing into the night.

—Carl Manning/American Red Cross

Midwest Extreme Weather: The Red Cross Response

Motorists are stranded along I-45 along North Main in Houston after storms flooded the area, Tuesday, May 26, 2015. Overnight heavy rains caused flooding closing some portions of major highways in the Houston area. (Cody Duty/Houston Chronicle via AP)

The Red Cross is helping people in Texas and Oklahoma where devastating floods and tornadoes pounded the states over the weekend. More than 220 people spent their Memorial Day in Red Cross shelters in the two states. Governors in both states declared disasters in more than 80 counties after the extreme weather destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and left thousands without power.

In addition, Red Cross disaster mental health counselors are reaching out to recent victims on-the-ground in Texas. Read how counselors like Richard and Carolyn Newkirk use their specialized skills to counsel children and more in a new article.