Disaster Response (Page 27)

Imagine having to gather your family and pack only the most essential items into your car before driving away from your home, not knowing if it would be there when you returned. That is the reality for many British Columbia residents, including Bonnie Netzlaw, who was evacuated from 100 Mile House.

Over the past week, Canadian Red Cross volunteers from all across the country have arrived in Prince George, B.C., to support the local team. Meet some of the amazing Red Crossers that are already making a difference on the ground in Prince George.

“We watched the fire come over the hill towards our house,” recalls Ira Sandy, a British Columbia wildfire evacuee. “You could feel the heat and warmth from the flames.”

On Monday, Sandy evacuated from his community of Sugar Cane in northern British Columbia due to the wildfires that have been sweeping fiercely across the province. He is now staying at an evacuation centre in Prince George.

It was a slow journey as people evacuated from Williams Lake on Saturday evening, with many driving all night to get to Kamloops. For some, the experience was almost overwhelming. After they arrive, the Red Cross is there to help register them and provide assistance. 

Bashiir sits upright on his cot inside a crowded cholera ward. “It is the first time I am sitting like this in a long time,” says Bashiir. “With my illness, I could not sit, I could not stand. For three days and three nights, I was vomiting. My entire body was aching. Those were black days.”
 Bashiir is at a treatment centre in eastern Africa for acute watery diarrhea/cholera set up by the Canadian Red Cross, with support from the Government of Canada.

Canadian Red Cross volunteer David Wickingstad, who is currently fielding calls at the Kamloops HELP office, decided to help out because he knows what it’s like to be an evacuee. His community of 108 Mile in the Cariboo Region of BC has been under an evacuation order since Friday, July 7th due to the Gustafsen wildfire.

Gauthier is one of thousands of people pushed out of their homes due to a fast-moving wildfire that broke out Thursday, July 6 near the village of Ashcroft, BC.  The fire swept through her tiny community nearby called Boston Flats.  

Those who experience crisis situations are very likely to experience extreme stress – this is entirely normal. However, extreme stress can seriously affect your health and daily life. Here are some tips to help cope with stress.