Emergency (Page 47)

It has been a year since the tragic train derailment impacted the community of Lac-Mégantic. Over the past year, the Red Cross has helped the community recover by providing emergency assistance and support through a number of projects. Here are two stories from people who lived through the disaster and went on to help their community recover with the help of Red Cross:

Significant rainfall this past week in Saskatchewan and Manitoba has resulted in flooding in several towns and communities, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their home. In Manitoba, more flood waters are expected to come from the west in the coming days.

As rain continues to fall on the already saturated ground throughout Southern Alberta this week, Red Cross staff and volunteers are providing relief to the many individuals and families impacted by rising rivers and wide-spread flooding. Red Crossers are in communities, mobilizing supplies such as cots, hygiene kits and blankets, assisting with a reception centre and shelter, and registering evacuees to ensure they receive the help they need. The effects of flooding can be devastating, but there are ways for individuals to help keep themselves safe.

As the Alberta Flood anniversary approaches, we at Red Cross are naturally focused on the work still ahead of us. That’s because we know hundreds of families are still struggling to recover.  Even now, people arrive at our offices with heartbreaking stories. Often, their financial credit is maxed out and they don’t know where else to turn. In the midst of this need, it can be tough to take time to recognize everything that’s already been accomplished during the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Flood response. But of course, that’s equally important. So today, Red Cross says a special thank you to all the staff and volunteers who work so hard to help others.

Living with seven kids in four tiny motel rooms for months on end following devastating floods might test the patience of many people, but Phillomene Stevens is just grateful her family is safe.

Slabs of fresh sod draw subtle lines along the High River field where Andrea Vasquez’s kids play soccer now. Just as the park shows few signs of last year’s devastating floods, Vasquez says her family also refuses to be defined by the disaster.

While packing my bags to come to Bosnia and Herzegovina, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d seen pictures of the devastating floods on TV. But it’s one thing to see something on TV, and something else entirely to be standing in the middle of it.

In times of disaster, such as the recent flooding in Northern Ontario, Red Cross volunteers are on the ground helping those in need. When flooding forced the evacuation of approximately 1,500 people from Kashechewan on May 10, more than 200 Canadian Red Cross volunteers deployed to aid evacuees.