Red Cross Helps Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Manhattan Residents Prepare for Disaster

More than 50 residents and staff of the Tanya Towers Treatment Apartments on Manhattan’s Lower East Side attended a “Be Red Cross Ready” emergency preparedness presentation by Damian Morales, American Red Cross community recovery specialist. This deaf-friendly residential setting is part of the New York Society for the Deaf.

Through an interpreter, the group, including deaf and/or hearing-impaired residents, learned how to get a kit, make a plan, and be informed before an emergency or disaster occurs.

"Having been impacted by Superstorm Sandy, they were active in discussions to learn how to prepare for the unexpected,” Morales said. “Their location now falls in Zone 1 of the NYC Hurricane Evacuation map so preparedness takes on a new meaning to the group."

Following the Red Cross presentation, representatives from Federation Employment Guidance Services and Project Hope spoke to the group about emotional resiliency.

The Red Cross offers emergency preparedness presentations free of charge as a service to the community. If you belong to a group or community interested in “Be Red Cross Ready,” please contact Suzan Rosen at suzan.rosen@redcross.org.