The Canadian Red Cross is currently working with evacuees from Long Plain First Nation since a tornado devastated the community two weeks ago. Spokesperson Jason Small outlines their efforts.

"On behalf of the federal government, we've been supporting the people from Long Plain since the tornado two weeks ago. We've been helping those people whose homes were damaged and they had to be evacuated from the community. And we also helped the community itself when it had issues with power and water supply, by having delivered ultimately more than 30,000 litres of bottled water to the community."

Some of the Red Cross supplies for evacuees

Small elaborates on the help provided to the people, themselves.

"As far as the people who are evacuated, we've supported them by providing temporary accommodations as well as food and other necessary incidentals. Initially they stayed in hotels in Winnipeg, but over the last few days those people who are still evacuated have been staying in a hotel in Portage la Prairie."

Canadian Red Cross spokesperson Jason SmallHe adds, "We're working with them and the chief and Council to make sure they understand what's going on, and to answer any questions. The way things are at this point, those evacuated homes have for the most part been determined uninhabitable because of the damage they've suffered."

Small explains each family is being assisted on a case-by-case basis, until their homes are repaired and they can return. He says it could be days, weeks or even months, depending on the situation with each family. Small explains a meeting took place yesterday at the Spirit Lodge led by Chief Dennis Meeches, and Red Cross helped provide information on the next steps being taken. He says they're also providing emergency preparedness tips to residents for dealing with severe weather in the case of another similar condition. 

Small adds the people of Long Plain have been great to work with, and the Red Cross is doing their best in the midst of this situation. The Red Cross will be involved until the people are able to finally return home.

Red Cross personel in Portage la Prairie