AirBnB announced on Tuesday that they are activating their 'Open Homes Program' to aid residents of the Panhandle and Northern Florida who were forced to evacuate from their homes because of
Hurricane Michael, as well as relief workers who came to provide assistance.
AirBnB's Disaster Response and Relief Team says that they activate its host communities through this program to support neighbors helping neighbors. This platform allows residents who have been displaced, as well as emergency relief workers and volunteers, to find temporary accommodations with local hosts who are opening their homes free of charge.
AirBnB hosts in the communities below are eligible to take part in the 'Open Home Program' and list their homes for free to evacuees and emergency relief workers:
AirBnB activates Open Homes Programs for Hurricane Michael, offers $0 listings
As Hurricane Michael approaches the panhandle and is expected to make landfall this afternoon, the Florida Department of Corrections still hasn't evacuated at least 15 state prisons in mandatory evacuation zones.
As Hurricane Michael makes landfall, 15 Florida prisons haven't been evacuated
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) will be deploying a Disaster Response (DR) team to the area later this week; dates and location will be determined in the next 24-36 hours.
With this hurricane coming so quickly on the heels of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Florence, SDIA is again asking for gift cards and financial donations to ensure that the DR team has the fuel, supplies and materials necessary for this mission. Secure financial donations can be made at
www.SheepDogIA.org/get-involved/donate. Gift cards for fuel, Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes can be mailed to or dropped off at the SDIA National Office (Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary’s, 1200 W. Walnut St., Suite 2301, Rogers AR 72756).
Those wanting to #GetOffTheCouch and deploy with SDIA should contact Jason Dixon (
[email protected]) with the following information: first and last name; email address; residential address; cell phone number; dates available to deploy; if you have your own transportation; and list of any tools/resources you can bring (chainsaws, wheelbarrows, shovels, hammers, pry bars, etc.). Those wanting to deploy must be registered members/volunteers of SDIA; to sign up, visit
www.SheepDogIA.org/membership.
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance deploying disaster response team to Florida
The
monstrous storm that has begun pounding the Florida Panhandle has slashed toward land east of the nation’s energy hub – the concentration of oil rigs and refineries that dot the Gulf of Mexico and coastline to the west of the storm.
At the fringes of the ferocious storm, some facilities will likely close, but are expected to escape the kind of serious damage that would jack up gasoline prices or limit the amount of gas available.
Hurricane Michael’s impact on Atlanta gas prices and supplies still unfolding
Before the hurricane's landfall, here are four ways pharmacies and hospitals are preparing:
1. Medication refills. Pharmacies
are urging customers to get an extra 30-day supply of any medication. Since there is a state of emergency declared in parts of Florida, Alabama and Georgia, pharmacists there can refill prescriptions without a prescriber's refill authorization.
2. Mobile pharmacies. Walgreens is staging temporary mobile pharmacies near the affected region that
will be deployed if any drugstores are damaged or unable to reopen quickly.
3. Stocking supplies. Many hospitals, including South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta, activated their emergency operations plan Oct. 9 in preparation for Hurricane Michael,
WALB 10 News reports. South Georgia Medical Center has received extra shipments of fuel, food, medicine and supplies to carry operations through the first 96 hours after the storm's onset.
4. Pharmacist recommendations. Pharmacists have recommended that patients carry any current medications in a waterproof bag. Even if the bottle is empty, having the correct dosage and medication information will help pharmacists with any refill requests.
What hospitals, pharmacies are doing to ensure patients have supplies ahead of Hurricane Michael
Associated Press News
Delta Airlines
has canceled about 40 flights Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Michael. The canceled flights from Florida include Tallahassee, Pensacola, Panama City and Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
Delta has been ferrying its Florida-based planes to Atlanta since Tuesday. The airline also capped fares in Destin, Panama City, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Mobile, Alabama. The caps are now $299 in the main cabin and $499 in the forward cabin each way from Oct. 9-11.
Delta Airlines cancels flights as Hurricane Michael makes landfall
Operators with SATERN, The Salvation Army’s amateur radio network, are planning to deploy to Pensacola, Panama City, Tallahassee and Tampa to keep communication lines open through the widespread power outages that are expected.
“We are prepared with supplies and our teams are ready to begin serving as soon as possible,” says Lt. Ryan Meo, Administrator for The Salvation Army in Tallahassee. “We have been in constant communication with local emergency management and are trusting God to care for those in the path of the storm.”
Salvation Army mobilizes personnel as Florida braces for Hurricane Michael
The American Red Cross Volunteers and the New York Air National Guard are preparing to deploy to Florida and Mississippi to assist with Hurricane Michael response and recovery. Five volunteers from the Western and Central New York regions are deploying to Tallahassee, Florida to support the Red Cross relief efforts. Local volunteers Ed Dienst from Skaneateles and Carol Matthews from North Syracuse will be assisting with relief, according to Dan Hartman with the American Red Cross.
Volunteers, New York Air National Guard to assist with Hurricane Michael relief
The
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration(FMCSA) has exempted motor carriers and drivers involved in Hurricane Michael relief efforts in eight states from Hours of Service and other parts of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, or FMCSRs, in an extended regional emergency declaration.
Hurricane Michael relief drivers exempt from HOS rules