Red Cross prepares for hurricanes with hypothetical scenarios

Even though this year's hurricane season has been a quiet one so far, the Red Cross is making preparations just in case.

The Red Cross uses a hypothetical scenario of a hurricane that has just passed through the Bay area and now the people need help, but every bridge is unusable.

"Pinellas County would be completely cut off as islands and the only way we're going to be able to get them is through landing craft," said Jim Simmons, a Red Cross spokesperson.

Simmons is talking about barges like the ones the Red Cross used near the Gandy boat ramp in their drill.

"We're just trying to make sure that we can get the emergency supplies over here as quickly as we can after the storm passes," he said.

The barge can carry a couple of vehicles along with tones of supplies over from Tampa, just in the case the bridges are out. It can make the trip in about 45 minutes.

The vehicles themselves proved to be a bit of a challenge during the drill.

Chief Warrant Officer Jerry Mitchell with the US Army is used to ferrying military vehicles, not a Red Cross van and Hummer.

"Using civilian vehicles was a little different for us," he said. "But it was a good training exercise."

The exercise continued at a St. Petersburg church, where volunteers practiced what they would do while helping out at a shelter.

If you do have to go to one as an absolute last resort, Red Cross representative Karen Bird says to pack only what you need.

"Changes of clothing, your medication is extremely important," she said. "And something to sleep on, so that you're comfortable in the shelter."

Shelters only provide the basics: a roof over your head and food.

While it wasn't all smooth sailing, the Red Cross says the drill was a success and if a the scenario actually happens, they're ready to take action.

The Red Cross also planned a disaster assessment in the neighborhood's surrounding the church, but it was moved indoors because of rain.

More than 60 volunteers were part of the drill held on Sunday afternoon.