When Disaster Strikes, Will Your Community Be Ready?

Deb Fleming doesn’t wait for disasters to happen. As Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, she spends her days building the kind of community infrastructure that kicks into action the moment everything goes wrong. In a recent conversation on The Valley Today with host Janet Michael, Fleming pulled back the curtain on a quiet but powerful transformation underway across 11 counties in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland — and why it matters to every single resident in the region. Click here to listen.

Rethinking What “Helping” Really Means

For decades, people have associated the Red Cross with two things: blood drives and disaster relief. However, Fleming is quick to point out that the organization’s mission runs much deeper than either of those associations suggests. “We don’t want to come to the community,” Fleming explains. “We want to be part of the community.”

That distinction drives everything the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter is doing right now. Rather than positioning itself as an outside organization that swoops in during a crisis, the Red Cross is actively embedding itself into the fabric of local communities — building relationships with nonprofits, civic organizations, government officials, and everyday residents long before an emergency ever strikes.

This approach, known as community mobilization, starts with a simple but powerful question: What does this community actually need? And the answer, as Fleming is quick to note, looks different in every single county.

No Two Communities Are the Same

The Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter covers a remarkably diverse geographic footprint. From the military-connected neighborhoods of Martinsburg to the rural hollows of Page County to the urban corridors of Winchester and Hagerstown, each community brings its own demographics, income levels, industries, and cultural makeup to the table.

“Every community does need something different,” Fleming says. “Certain communities are really good at mobilizing certain aspects of their community, but need support in other areas.”

As a result, the Red Cross is moving away from a one-size-fits-all model. Instead of spreading resources thin across every county in the same way, the chapter is now asking harder questions: Where is the greatest need? Who is already doing this well? And where can the Red Cross step back and simply support what’s already working?

Taking an Honest Look in the Mirror

Before fixing anything, Fleming and her team are doing something that takes real institutional courage — they’re conducting a maturity matrix, a structured self-assessment that measures the depth of their community partnerships, the inclusivity of their volunteer base, and the effectiveness of their operational strategies.

Importantly, the Red Cross isn’t rushing to fix what it finds. “Don’t try to fix anything yet,” Fleming recalls being told. “We want a realistic, honest answer to where you are.”

This kind of transparency is rare in the nonprofit world. Nevertheless, Fleming sees it as essential. Only by understanding where gaps exist can the organization meaningfully close them — and ultimately serve clients better when disaster arrives.

The Idea That Started Over Coffee

Perhaps the most exciting development to emerge from this community mobilization effort is the Disaster Leadership Academy — and it has an origin story as local as it gets.

Fleming and host Janet Michael were sitting together over coffee when the conversation turned to a gap they both recognized: community leaders, nonprofit staff, elected officials, and emergency managers were all doing important work — but they were largely doing it in silos. When a disaster hit, nobody fully understood what anyone else was supposed to be doing.

“Sometimes they know how to do what they know how to do very, very well,” Michael reflects. “But they don’t think about the other things that have to happen before, during, or after.”

Out of that conversation, a program was born. The Disaster Leadership Academy brings together people from across sectors — nonprofits, local government, elected officials, volunteers, and community members — to learn each other’s roles, build relationships, and develop a shared language around disaster response. The first cohort launches in Washington County, Maryland, with expansion to Winchester and the broader region to follow.

Why It Matters When It’s Happening

The stakes become clear the moment Fleming walks through a real scenario. When a tornado tears through a neighborhood, the immediate instinct for most people is to think about the victims — the families who need shelter, the children who need to be accounted for, the homes that need to be assessed. What most people don’t realize, however, is that there is an entire command structure that has to function correctly before any of that help can flow.

“Egos can get pretty big during a disaster,” Fleming says plainly.

When people don’t know each other, when roles aren’t clear, and when communication breaks down, the people who need help most are the ones who suffer. Furthermore, misinformation spreads rapidly — often through social media — filling the vacuum left by unclear official communication.

The Disaster Leadership Academy directly addresses this problem. By building relationships and clarifying roles before a crisis hits, participants are equipped to respond faster, communicate more clearly, and ultimately reduce the suffering that disasters inevitably bring.

You Can Be Part of the Solution

Beyond the Academy, Fleming is actively recruiting the 37 remaining volunteers the chapter needs to meet its regional deployment goals. Volunteers can sign up at RedCross.org and choose a path that fits their lifestyle — whether that means staying local and supporting their own community or eventually deploying to disaster zones across the country.

And for those who think they only have a few hours to spare? Fleming has a story for that too. One volunteer came to her saying he had exactly five hours a week and no intention of doing more. Today, he leads regional feeding operations and deploys nationally — and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“People really enjoy their experience,” Fleming says. “We have a over 94% happiness score with our volunteers.”

A Community That Takes Care of Itself

Ultimately, the vision Fleming is building toward is one where the Shenandoah Valley doesn’t have to wait for outside help when disaster strikes. Through community mobilization, the Disaster Leadership Academy, and a growing network of deeply connected partners, the goal is a region that knows itself — its strengths, its gaps, its people, and its plan.

That kind of community doesn’t build itself overnight. But as Fleming and Michael’s ongoing conversations make clear, it builds one relationship, one conversation, and one cup of coffee at a time.

🎙️ Ready to hear the full conversation? [Click here to listen to this episode of The Valley Today] — and share it with someone in your community who needs to hear it.

To volunteer with the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, visit RedCross.org.

 

When Disaster Strikes, the Red Cross Is Already Ready

behind the red cross pod
How the Greater Shenandoah Valley chapter prepares year-round — and why your community needs to know about it

Most people picture the American Red Cross arriving in the aftermath of a disaster — handing out blankets, opening shelters, feeding families. What they don’t picture is everything that had to happen first. On a recent episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down with Deb Fleming, Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley chapter of the American Red Cross, to pull back the curtain on the extraordinary preparation that makes those moments of relief possible. Click here to listen.

The Work Nobody Sees

Long before a flood warning sounds or a house catches fire in the middle of the night, the Red Cross is already working. Fleming explains that the organization maintains an intricate network of relationships with local governments, fire departments, emergency management directors, first responders, and nonprofit partners across 11 counties — all so that when disaster strikes, everyone already knows their role.

“We don’t want to send somebody out there without a knowledge of what to do,” Fleming tells Michael. “Because that can cause a disaster within a disaster.”

To prevent exactly that, the Red Cross trains volunteers across more than 30 specialized roles — from shelter workers and feeding coordinators to information planners who track weather systems 14 days out and monitor storm activity as it moves across the Atlantic. Furthermore, staff regularly participate in exercises like the “Thunderbolt” drill, where national headquarters can call at any moment within a 14-day window and require local volunteers to stand up multiple mock shelters simultaneously. The organization also participates in large-scale simulations involving plane crashes, train incidents, and even nuclear scenarios.

Volunteers Are the Engine

Perhaps the most striking detail Fleming shares is this: with only three paid staff members serving the entire region, the Red Cross runs almost entirely on volunteers. In fact, 90% of the people you see responding to a disaster are unpaid community members who gave their time, completed their training, and showed up.

Consequently, training never really stops. Volunteers come and go, disasters evolve, and best practices change. “Constantly,” Fleming says, when asked how often training cycles repeat. The organization doesn’t just train once and move on — it continuously prepares its people for a rotating cast of emergencies, because the next one could look nothing like the last.

And the emergencies come fast. Fleming recounts a stretch as a disaster program manager when she managed 26 disasters in just 10 days — most of them house fires, but also flooding, a mining incident, and more. “Disaster is not an organized response,” she says plainly.

Small Disasters, Big Impact

One of the most important points Fleming makes is that the vast majority of Red Cross responses never make the news. While large-scale disasters like hurricanes and wildfires capture public attention and donations, the everyday work — the 2am house fire, the single family displaced by flooding, the individual who escaped with nothing but a blanket — happens quietly and constantly.

“Most people don’t know we’re there,” Fleming acknowledges. Nevertheless, the Red Cross shows up every time, regardless of the size of the disaster or the size of the audience watching.

Where the Money Goes — and Why It Matters

In the second half of the conversation, Michael and Fleming tackle a question donors often wonder about: where does the money actually go? Fleming answers it directly, breaking the cost of disaster relief down into tangible figures that make the stakes immediately clear:

  • $20 feeds one person breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • $22 installs a 10-year battery smoke alarm in a home
  • $124 covers one day of shelter, meals, and travel for one person
  • $135 provides cleanup kits for five families after a flood
  • $670 delivers immediate assistance — hotel, clothing, food, and shoes — to a family after a house fire

Moreover, for donors in the Shenandoah Valley, Fleming offers reassurance on a question she hears often: money donated to the Greater Shenandoah Valley chapter stays in the region. “You can be assured that the money that you donate to the American Red Cross of the Greater Shenandoah Valley chapter stays in our area,” she says.

How Businesses and Individuals Can Help

Beyond individual donations, Fleming outlines several creative and accessible ways that businesses and community members can get involved. Corporate matching programs, for instance, can double the impact of every dollar raised. A local company recently received a matching gift of up to $250,000 — proof that these programs work at every level.

Even smaller businesses can make a meaningful difference. As Michael points out, a company with 10 to 15 employees that raises $500 through an internal fundraiser and matches it internally suddenly delivers $1,000 to the local chapter. Similarly, Fleming highlights point-of-sale roundup programs at grocery stores and gas stations as an effortless way for customers to contribute spare change that adds up to thousands of dollars over time.

For those who prefer a more personal touch, Fleming shares one of her favorite ideas: the “bring your checkbook” dinner, where a host invites friends and family to enjoy a meal together while raising funds for the Red Cross. “You’re not even spending anything more,” she notes. “But now you have six, eight friends spending it with you.”

Every Dollar Counts

Ultimately, Fleming’s message is simple and urgent: no donation is too small, no effort too modest. Whether it’s $5 a month set up online at redcross.org, a one-time check, or a conversation with Fleming herself about larger giving opportunities, every contribution directly supports the people in this community when they need help most.

“When people give and when they volunteer, they feel better,” Fleming says. “Mentally and emotionally, it’s helpful for people.”

Listen to the Full Conversation

This article only scratches the surface of what Janet Michael and Deb Fleming cover in this episode. To hear the full conversation — including details on disability integration in Red Cross shelters, how the organization tracks disasters across the entire United States, and what it’s really like to be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — click the link below to listen to the full episode of The Valley Today.

Behind the Red Cross: The Volunteers, Planning, and Prep That Make Disaster Relief Possible

New episodes of The Valley Today are released weekdays. Visit thevalleytodaypodcast.com for show notes, links, and resources from this episode.

From Prep to Cleanup: A Flood Survival Guide

red cross flooding pod

When snowmelt season arrives in the Shenandoah Valley, flooding becomes more than just a possibility—it’s a reality residents must prepare for. In a recent episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael talks with Deb Fleming, Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, to discuss how communities can protect themselves before, during, and after a flood strikes. Click here to listen.

Know Your Risk Before the Storm Hits

First and foremost, Fleming urges residents to educate themselves about their flood risk. Newcomers to the valley may not realize which areas are prone to flooding, making it critical to check government websites like water.noaa.gov and input your zip code to discover your flood zone. Moreover, Fleming stresses the importance of downloading emergency apps and familiarizing yourself with alternative routes—because when highways like I-81 shut down overnight due to flooding, you’ll need an escape plan.

Insurance Matters More Than You Think

Before stocking up on supplies, Fleming recommends reviewing your insurance policies carefully. Standard homeowner’s insurance often doesn’t cover flood damage, and surprisingly, even flood insurance may not cover hurricane-related flooding. Additionally, if your sump pump fails and floods your basement—like Janet experienced last spring—you need specific coverage. At just $400 a year, proper flood insurance can save you from devastating financial loss.

Build Your Survival Kit Now

Fleming advocates for a robust two-week emergency kit rather than the standard 72-hour supply, especially for rural residents. Your kit should include one gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable foods, a NOAA hand-crank radio, flashlights, batteries, first-aid supplies, medications, and cell phone chargers. Furthermore, pet owners must pack food and supplies for their animals and identify pet-friendly shelters ahead of time. Similarly, families with infants need diapers, formula, and bottles ready to go.

When Flooding Strikes: Critical Safety Measures

Once floodwaters threaten your area, Fleming emphasizes one golden rule: turn around, don’t drown. Just six inches of water can knock you off balance, while twelve inches can sweep your vehicle away. Additionally, standing water hides numerous dangers—from downed power lines and displaced manhole covers to toxic chemicals from nearby factories and wildlife like snakes seeking higher ground.

If sheltering in place, immediately turn off your gas line and electric panel to prevent explosions or fires. Meanwhile, listen to your NOAA radio or local AM stations for updates, as they provide vital information about evacuation orders and safe zones.

The Hidden Dangers in Floodwater

Fleming doesn’t mince words: floodwater is disgusting and deadly. Beyond the obvious hazards, it contains sewage, medications, cleaning chemicals, oil, and industrial waste. During her deployment to Hurricane Ian in Florida, Fleming witnessed alligators in standing water. Even in the Shenandoah Valley, copperheads and rattlesnakes get displaced during floods, making any contact with floodwater extremely dangerous.

The Cleanup: Patience Pays Off

After the waters recede, homeowners face their toughest challenge yet. Critically, Fleming warns against the urge to clean up immediately. Insurance companies and FEMA require photographic evidence of damage before repairs begin. If you clean up first, you may lose all financial assistance—a heartbreaking scenario Fleming has witnessed repeatedly during disaster deployments.

Instead, wait for official clearance to return home, then document everything. Wear protective gear including rubber gloves and boots when cleaning, as contaminated water poses serious health risks. Furthermore, throw away any items that contacted floodwater, including plastic utensils and bottles, since proper sanitization becomes nearly impossible.

Community Resources Save Lives

Following major floods, emergency management agencies establish Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs) where organizations like the Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Small Business Administration, and Salvation Army provide assistance. These centers offer low-interest SBA loans, help with furnace and hot water tank replacement, and connect residents to available aid programs.

Importantly, Fleming urges affected residents to call 911 and report flood damage even if assessors haven’t visited. The more reported cases of damage, the more likely communities receive federal funding for recovery efforts. By speaking up, you’re not just helping yourself—you’re helping your entire community rebuild.

Start Preparing Today

Fleming directs listeners to RedCross.org/get-help for comprehensive checklists, emergency apps, and educational videos. Additionally, Ready.gov offers workplace preparedness plans and organizational resources. For real-time flooding data across the country, water.noaa.gov provides fascinating—and potentially life-saving—information about water levels and crest predictions.

As Fleming reminds us, disasters don’t wait for convenient timing. By preparing now, you protect not only your family but also your financial future and peace of mind when the next flood inevitably arrives.

Red Cross Ready: Blood, Snow & Preparedness

red cross Preparedness

Winter storms don’t just strand motorists and close schools—they create life-threatening blood shortages that most Americans never consider. In a revealing conversation on The Valley Today, host Janet Michael talks with Deb Fleming, Executive Director of the Greater Shenandoah Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, to discuss how a recent severe winter storm exposed critical vulnerabilities in both our blood supply system and our personal preparedness plans. Click here to listen.

A Perfect Storm of Shortages

The numbers paint a sobering picture. Before Winter Storm Fern even arrived, the Red Cross was already facing a severe blood shortage due to December’s triple cancellation rate compared to the previous year. Then Fern hit, wiping out an additional 20,000 blood collections across the United States. Meanwhile, one of the worst flu seasons in 20 years kept potential donors home sick or caring for ill family members.

“I don’t think a lot of people think blood and weather go together,” Deb explains. However, when roads become impassable and schools close—locations where many blood drives take place—the impact on blood collection becomes immediate and severe. Even more alarming, a third of Americans don’t realize that if people don’t donate, hospitals may not have blood available when they need it.

Beyond the Three-Day Rule

The recent storm also shattered conventional wisdom about emergency preparedness. While most disaster planning recommends three days’ worth of supplies, Deb strongly advocates for two weeks of provisions—a recommendation that suddenly seemed prescient as communities remained snowbound far longer than anticipated.

“We never think it’s gonna happen to us,” Deb admits, “but we are seeing this more often, that storms are bigger, they last longer and they do more damage.” She emphasizes that preparing ahead of time eliminates the panic buying that leaves store shelves bare and neighbors without essential supplies.

Small Disasters Within Big Disasters

Furthermore, winter storms create cascading emergencies. House fires increase dramatically as people resort to alternative heating methods. Power grids strain under unprecedented demand, forcing some residents into Red Cross shelters not because they can’t return home, but because their homes lack adequate heat. Communities face the prospect of spring flooding as massive ice formations on rivers begin to melt—a pattern that devastated West Virginia and Kentucky the previous year.

Practical Steps for Prevention

Interestingly, some disaster preparation involves prevention rather than stockpiling. During the recent storm, local electric companies warned customers about potential rolling blackouts due to grid strain. This prompted many residents to reduce their power consumption by unplugging unnecessary devices, lowering thermostats, and closing off unused rooms—strategies that not only helped prevent outages but also reduced utility bills.

Deb shares her mother’s Depression-era wisdom: separate cold rooms from warm ones, create insulated spaces using blankets and tents, and turn preparedness into family activities rather than sources of anxiety. “You wanna make sure that it doesn’t feel like a burden for your children,” she notes, “that it becomes something fun.”

The Car Kit You’re Probably Missing

Additionally, vehicle preparedness remains a critical blind spot for most people. Deb emphasizes that cars should contain blankets, flashlights, phone chargers, first aid kits, water, snacks, and a shovel—especially since many people must travel even during severe weather. She also warns against a common winter danger: running your car in deep snow can cause exhaust to back up into the vehicle, creating carbon monoxide poisoning risk.

Taking Action Now

Ultimately, the conversation circles back to the immediate crisis: the severe blood shortage. Deb urges listeners to schedule appointments at blood drives through redcross.org/blood, noting that each donation can save up to three lives. Organizations can also host or sponsor blood drives to help address the shortage.

Looking ahead, the conversation promises to continue exploring seasonal preparedness challenges, with spring flooding preparedness on the agenda for March. As Deb reminds us, disaster preparedness isn’t about preparing for distant catastrophes—it’s about being ready for the six inches of snow with ice on top that can shut down your entire community.

The message is clear: preparation today prevents panic tomorrow, and a single blood donation can mean the difference between life and death for someone in your community.