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Cook County Emergency Management urges preparedness with increasing fire activity and dry conditions in the Superior National Forest. Residents and visitors should be in ready mode if asked to evacuate.
Cook County uses the Code Red emergency notification system. To register for Code Red alerts, go the Cook County website: www. co.cook.mn.us and look for the Code Red icon. This system allows us to deliver emergency messages via phone call to your landline or mobile device and through text and email. A notification will also be sent out to all local media outlets and on County social media pages. Local authorities will go door to door to notify any impacted residences and businesses.
If community shelters are required for those who must evacuate, these will be coordinated and managed by Cook County Public Health and Human Services, with support from the American Red Cross. Cook County has several emergency shelters designated throughout the county, including the Cook County YMCA. Evacuate if told to do so. If you go to a community shelter, remember to follow the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for protecting yourself and family from COVID-19.
It is also extremely helpful to either check in to the shelter even if you are not sheltering or better yet email the Emergency Management office if you have left the impacted area or leave a message. If you know you will need sheltering, please contact Emergency Management ahead of time. This helps when calls are received for peoples whereabouts.
Cook County will help provide for the sheltering needs of pets.
If you are in potentially affected areas, you should be familiar with evacuation routes, have a family emergency communications plan, and have plans for your family members and pets. Determine in advance what you would need to take if asked to evacuate, including money, identification, cell phone and charger, medications, bottled water, and snacks.
Feelings such as overwhelming anxiety, worrying, trouble sleeping, and other depression-like symptoms are common responses before, during, and after wildfires. People who have struggled to recover from experiences with past wildfires also may experience distress. The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
For the latest fire conditions in the Superior National Forest, call 218- 214-7844 or visithttps:// inciweb.nwcg.gov/, the Superior National Forest website: www.fs.usda. gov/superior or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SuperiorNF/.
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