Oakmont's Theresa Creighan Deployed as Red Cross Preps for Irene

Theresa Creighan of Oakmont is already on site in Raleigh, NC, to help the American Red Cross prepare for a potentially large-scale response as Hurricane Irene heads toward the eastern shores of the United States.

Creighan is serving as a staff services chief, helping to recruit Red Cross volunteers from across the country by assessing their strengths and skills and placing them in roles for which they are most qualified and needed. The local Red Cross is also putting numerous other response workers on alert in case the storm hits and there is a need for additional responders.

This is the 38th deployment for Creighan, and her seventh this year. She is a member of the regional disaster public affairs team and volunteers in many capacities.

The Red Cross is getting ready for a full East Coast response by preparing shelters for evacuees, pre-positioning numerous emergency response vehicles and disaster supplies and mobilizing disaster workers to parts of the country expected to see impact from this large storm.

According to the Huffington Post, Irene is expected to come ashore Saturday in North Carolina with 115 mph winds and a storm surge of 5 to 10 feet. Warnings were out for the entire coast. It could dump a foot of rain, with as much as 15 inches falling in some places along the coast and around Chesapeake Bay.

Local residents with friends and loved ones in potential evacuation areas should let them know about the Red Cross Safe and Well website. By visiting http://www.redcross.org/safeandwell, they can let their loved ones know what their situation is due to the hurricane.

The site can be also be accessed by going to www.redcross.org/safeandwell on a smart phone, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. People can also update their Facebook and Twitter status through the Safe and Well site.