Red Cross monitoring impact of Lee in New England
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The American Red Cross said it is monitoring conditions after Post Tropical Storm Lee passed through New England.
The Red Cross said that the storm brought “strong winds, heavy rainfall and dangerous surf conditions” to Southern New England that may have knocked down trees and result in localized flooding.
The organization added that Lee caused widespread power outages in Maine, as well as scattered outages in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The Red Cross released guidelines on how to prepare for power outages during a storm, which include:
- To use flashlights in the dark, not candles.
- Understand the risk of using a generator, including carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible, as an unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about four hours and a full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
- Prepare a cooler with ice or frozen bags of water for freezer items, and freeze refrigerated items to keep them fresh for longer.
- â¯Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment
The Red Cross also has an emergency app for use during severe weather and other natural disasters.
The Red Cross added that there is currently a national blood shortage, and Hurricane Lee has cancelled many blood drives.
The Rhode Island Blood Center has also declared a “blood emergency” due to low supply.
Those interested in giving blood can schedule an appointment here.
