Shelters aid storm victims in six states

[SEPT. 20, 2004]  Red Cross officials are advising families with people who live in the disaster areas to set up a family communication system so that everyone knows how to stay in contact. This will help overburdened telephone systems and relief workers as well as relieving tensions for families eager to know how their loved ones are coping.

One suggestion is to choose one person in a family for displaced victims to call. The designated person notifies other family members or is the one the rest of the family knows to call for updates.

As a result of victims needing shelter from storms or flooding, a total of 93 Red Cross shelters with a population of 8,120 have been set up as of Sept. 18. Twenty-seven shelters other than Red Cross, with a population of 810, were also set up for storm victims.

Five special needs shelters were set up in Florida and eight in Alabama, with 377 people in the Florida shelters and 359 in Alabama.

Five shelters remain open from Hurricane Frances, with 510 residents still waiting to return home.

Additional Red Cross shelters that have opened and closed in other states included sites in New York, Delaware, Kentucky and Virginia with an unspecified number of residents.

The Red Cross has deployed 229 emergency response vehicles and served 43,951 meals and snacks in all areas combined for the current storm period.

[LDN and news release]