"There’s been a big reaction to the sound truck on this campaign, everywhere I go we get a lot of people coming to me with questions, there’s a lot of interest," says sound truck driver Floreal Fritzner.

"It’s a very effective way of reaching people, a lot of people tell me they had heard something about the vaccination campaign on the radio or somewhere else but the sound truck has provided more information for them. It really gives people a better understanding of what is happening."

Alongside the sound truck, which will reach thousands of people in Port-au-Prince, hundreds of Red Cross volunteers across Haiti are visiting people’s homes, tens of thousands of posters and flyers have been printed, millions of text messages are being sent, twitter messages are being posted, and the Red Cross radio show, Radyo Kwa Rouj, is reaching people around the country with phone-ins and discussions on the benefits of vaccination.

Dr. Myrtha Louissaint, health coordinator of the Haitian Red Cross explained that by working with the Haitian Ministry of Health, which is leading the vaccination campaign, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, together they can reach people with vital information.

"The Haitian Red Cross is working in really good collaboration with the Ministry of Health. For this vaccination campaign we’re using all of our resources, like text messaging, which we can send out thanks to the International Federation of the Red Cross," she says.

"We have about 1,200 trained Red Cross volunteers and they will be going out countrywide. We’re going to promote awareness in the streets and camps, we’re going to go from house to house to sensitize the population about the importance of being vaccinated."

In La Piste camp, which is home to a large number of people with disabilities, the sound truck has proved invaluable.

"I just found out about the vaccination campaign from the sound truck, I hadn’t heard about it before. It’s really important that the truck came because without that I wouldn’t know," says Clausette Esperance as she cradles six month old daughter Naika, the youngest of her three children.

To Floreal, this positive reaction to the information campaign, and his sound truck in particular, comes as no surprise. “People have been really happy to see me coming with the truck,” he says. "They come and ask me if they will have to pay for the vaccinations and I tell them that it will be free so they go away even happier."

Tornado facts

• Canada gets more tornadoes than any other country with the exception of the United States.
• Tornadoes are rotating columns of high winds.
• Sometimes they move quickly (up to 70 km/hour) and leave a long, wide path of destruction. At other times the tornado is small.
• Large or small, they can uproot trees, flip cars and demolish houses.
• Tornadoes usually hit in the afternoon and early evening, but they have been known to strike at night too.

What to do if you are caught in a tornado

If you are in a house

• Go to the basement or take shelter in a small interior ground floor room such as a bathroom, closet or hallway.
• If you have no basement, protect yourself by taking shelter under a heavy table or desk.
• In all cases, stay away from windows, outside walls and doors.

If you live on a farm

• Livestock hear and sense impending tornadoes. If your family or home is at risk, the livestock will be a non-issue. If your personal safety is not an issue, you may only have time to open escape routes for your livestock. Open the gate, if you must, and then exit the area in a tangent direction away from the expected path of the tornado.

If you are in an office or apartment building

• Take shelter in an inner hallway or room, ideally in the basement or on the ground floor.
• Do not use the elevator.
• Stay away from windows.

If you are in a gymnasium, church or auditorium

• Large buildings with wide-span roofs may collapse if a tornado hits.
• If possible, find shelter in another building.
• If you are in one of these buildings and cannot leave, take cover under a sturdy structure such as a table or desk.

Avoid cars and mobile homes

• More than half of all deaths from tornadoes happen in mobile homes.
• Find shelter elsewhere, preferably in a building with a strong foundation.
• If no shelter is available, lie down in a ditch away from any car or mobile home. Beware of flooding from downpours and be prepared to move.

If you are driving

• If you spot a tornado in the distance go to the nearest solid shelter.
• If the tornado is close, get out of your car and take cover in a low-lying area, such as a ditch.

In all cases

• Get as close to the ground as possible, protect your head and watch for flying debris.
• Do not chase tornadoes – they are unpredictable and can change course abruptly.
• A tornado is deceptive. It may appear to be standing still but is, in fact, moving toward you.

A basic emergency kit can go along way following a tornado. A basic kit should include:

• Water – two litres of water per person per day (Include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order)
• Food – that won't spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (remember to replace the food and water once a year)
• Manual can opener
• Flashlight and batteries
• Battery–powered or wind–up radio (and extra batteries)
• First aid kit
• Special needs items – prescription medications, infant formula or equipment for people with disabilities
• Extra keys – for your car and house
• Cash – include smaller bills, such as $10 bills (travellers cheques are also useful) and change for payphones
• Emergency plan – include a copy of it and ensure it contains in–town and out–of–town contact information

For more information on how to be prepared, please visit www.redcross.ca/prepare

Canadian Red Cross programming in Indonesia started with a commitment to build back better following the 2004 tsunami, targeting 49 communities in the disaster-prone provinces of Aceh and Nias. Since 2005, the Canadian Red Cross has constructed more than 5,450 safe and permanent houses for thousands of residents. Today, the Canadian Red Cross has shifted its focus from recovery to supporting the Indonesian Red Cross and targeted communities in enhancing their capacity to mitigate and manage disasters and other vulnerabilities. Thank you for your support!

A woman carries her baby to a safe place in Banda Aceh after a strong earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on April 11. Reuters/Junaidi Hanafiah