Like a lot of people on this morning after the freak tornado hit the city, I’ve made my share of phone calls and sent my share of email messages to check in with Springfield friends and sources today. The gist of the messages: “Are you, and your family, and your home, OK?”
So far, so good, although I’ve yet to hear back from a few folks. Springfield Intruder blogger Bill Dusty actually emailed me back from the street—he must have one of them new-fangled fancy-type phones the kids all have these days—to report on his tour of his neighborhood. (He’s also toting his camera, so check in to the Intruder later for his coverage.)
Then I got this email, from Tom Walsh, spokesman for Mayor Domenic Sarno, about a more efficient way to check up on unaccounted-for family and friends:
“The Red Cross Safe and Well website is being used to track residents who have been displaced by yesterday’s tornadoes in the Springfield area. The Safe and Well website is a free, public communication tool where those affected by disasters can register on the site and post messages that they are safe. Loved ones can then conduct a search on the site to view the posted messages.
“To access the website, please go to www.redcross.org/safeandwell. You can enter yourself as ‘Safe and Well’ if you were impacted by the storm, or search for a loved one you cannot locate.
“If you do not have access to a computer and the internet, the City’s 3-1-1 Call Center can assist you with entering yourself into the system or searching for a loved one. The number into the 3-1-1 Center is 413-736-3111.
“Registration computers will be made available at shelter locations within the City of Springfield for residents located at those sites.
“Please be patient as the database will take time to fill up. If you do not see a loved one listed when you search initially, please check back later.”
