United Way’s 211 Call Center is providing information about flood evacuation in Santa Cruz County. 

In Santa Cruz County, flood warnings and evacuation advisories in effect until approximately 5 p.m. today for the following areas:

• Felton Grove evacuate to Safeway Parking Lot on Gramhill Road
• Gold Gulch evacuate to higher ground
•  Paradise Park evacuate to higher ground

If you need assistance evacuating, call 911 directly.  

No new shelters have been set up at this time, but 211 can refer you to the Red Cross if you need shelter because of flooding.

Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area, who are concerned about radiation from Japan’s nuclear emergency can call 211 for updated information. 

Currently, the Bay Area’s departments of public health are emphasizing that there is no danger to Bay Area residents from Japan’s nuclear emergency. They also discourage taking potassium iodide, which can have serious side effects and should not be taken unless recommended.

Residents are discouraged from calling 911 unless they are experiencing a life-threatening emergency. During times of disaster, the 211 helplines provide critical information to local residents, relieving 911 operators from answering non-emergency calls.

The Bay Area’s 211 call centers will continue to communicate actively with County Departments of Emergency Services in the Bay Area to provide residents with the most current information.

211 is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day in more than 150 languages. Residents who cannot dial 211 should call 800-273-6222 to reach a local 211 call center. For the hearing impaired, dial 711 or 415-808-4440 (TTY).   Information is also available at www.211BayArea.org.

Call 211 to get information about whether the tsunami will impact where you live.

Residents in the San Francisco Bay Area, who are concerned about the local impact of tsunami waves generated by the 8.9 earthquake off Japan early this morning, can call 211 for information about areas that are being evacuated, shelters and evacuation centers, and check points for boat owners.

Residents are discouraged from calling 911 unless they are experiencing a life-threatening emergency. During times of disaster, the 211 Bay Area helplines provide critical information to local residents, relieving 911 operators from answering non-emergency calls.

“Our 211 Bay Area call center is actively communicating today with the Offices of Emergency Services for Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties, so that we can provide residents with the most current information about evacuation areas, road closings and other coastal warnings,” said Helen Rosen, vice president of operations for United Way’s 211 call center.

“Our phone lines have been quite busy, and we encourage residents to call 211 for tsunami information, so that 911 operators can remain focused on life-threateningemergencies,” Rosen said.

211 providers all along the California coast are also providing information to residents in their areas,including call centers in Los Angeles, Monterey, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma and Ventura counties.

211 is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day in more than 150 languages. Residents who cannot dial 211 should call 800-273-6222 to reach a local 211 call center. For the hearing impaired, dial 711 or 415-808-4440 (TTY).

Learn more about 211 at  www.211BayArea.org.

Photo courtesy of Hamed Saber via Creative Commons license.

Over on the Huffington Post, check out United Way National Women’s Leadership Council Chair Kye Kilpatrickt Fox’s op-ed, “It’s Time to Pass the Calling for 2-1-1 Act.” She points out that in times of disaster or emergency 2-1-1 is especially helpful, perhaps even more so as we sit on the edge of what may turn out to be an active hurricane season.

She says:

At times of disaster, 2-1-1 is there to answer questions to help people manage their personal challenges. Where do you find a sandbag, water, shelter or food assistance? Call 2-1-1. Where do I start if my home and business have been destroyed? Call 2-1-1. Where can I volunteer? Call 2-1-1. It’s easy, fast and effective.

The goal is the get the Calling for 2-1-1 Act (HR 211) voted on, already it has broad bi-partisian support in both the house and senate.  Kye Kilpatrick Fox is Chair of the United Way National Women’s Leadership Council and President and CEO of Urban Advisory Services in San Antonio, TX

Read her excellent case for why 2-1-1 should be nationwide here.

U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo and United Way gathered business and community leaders at a rally today at a UPS facility in Sunnyvale to urge Congress to approve the Calling for 211 Act (H.R.211/S.211), which will expand the 211 information and referral service to all Americans.  The bill will support expansion of 211 to the entire state of California, where service is now available in 26 of 58 counties.

Congress is heading toward the end of its 2010 session, and if the bill does not pass before this session ends, it will expire, and the country will lose its most significant opportunity to date to expand 211 coverage.  The bill already has 243 bi-partisan co-sponsors in the House and 61 in the Senate, more than enough to secure approval.

“211 helps connect millions of Americans every year with an array of essential programs, from health services to housing assistance.  Almost 10 years after it was designated, the 211 number only reaches two-thirds of the U.S. population and includes less than half the counties in California.  I’ve authored the Calling For 211 Act to expand this critical service to all Americans and ensure it continues to provide a valuable lifeline for decades to come,” Rep. Eshoo said.

Anne Wilson, CEO of United Way of the Bay Area, which operates 211 in five Bay Area counties, said, “211 is serving as a life line for struggling families during these tough times. All people, everywhere, need to be able to dial 211 – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – to get the help they need in the event of a personal crisis or a disaster. This can only happen if H.R.211 passes this year. Without federal funding, expanding our 211 call centers to adequately serve growing needs will be a significant challenge.”

Read the press release about today’s 211 rally.

Take action to support 211 today: visit www.liveunited.org/211, where you can quickly identify your Congressional representatives and send an email to urge them to bring H.R.211 to a vote.