Navigating Severe Weather While Living With Paralysis

Severe storms sweeping across California are triggering mudslides and flash flood warnings.

 As heavy rain continues over the next day, consider these tips to stay safe:

• Never drive through flood waters. Six inches of water is strong enough to knock a person over, one foot is enough to sweep away a car.
• Do not drive on bridges over fast moving water.
• Track weather alerts, road closures and evacuation orders by monitoring local news and official social media accounts of the National Weather Service and regional organizations and government agencies, including newspapers, television stations, mayor’s offices, state police and fire departments, utility providers, governor’s offices, and the state Department of Transportation.
• If you’re trapped at home and flooding is a threat, evacuate to the highest level that you can access.
• If your power goes out, do not use generators or camp stoves inside your home. Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms in areas experiencing power outages.
• A surge of calls can overwhelm communication networks in an emergency. Texting may be the fastest way to reach family and friends as it requires fewer network resources.
• Conserve cell phone batteries by deleting apps not in use.
• As emergencies develop, the Red Cross will likely be on the ground providing resources and operating emergency shelters. Locate open shelters by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting its searchable website here. All Red Cross shelters are accessible.