Red Cross Begins Closing Shelters as Power Restoration Continues

Shelters to remain open in Batavia, Buffalo, Macedon, Rochester; Red Cross supporting community shelters

As power restoration efforts continue across the Western and Central New York Region following this week’s windstorms, the American Red Cross has closed three storm shelters, with a fourth scheduled to close by Saturday afternoon. Shelters at the Kendall Town Hall, Frontier Fire Hall and Varysburg Fire Hall were closed on Saturday as residents have been able to return to their homes. A shelter at Cross Creek Church in Macedon is scheduled to close on Sunday afternoon. Anyone in these areas in need of additional assistance is asked to call their local Red Cross Chapter.

Red Cross volunteers continue to operate storm shelters at the following locations:

FINGER LAKES CHAPTER (Chapter phone: 607-936-3766):

      ·         Cross Creek Church
3259 Canandaigua Road, Macedon

GREATER ROCHESTER CHAPTER (Chapter phone: 585-241-4400):

      ·         David Gantt Center
700 North Street, Rochester

      ·         Monroe Community College, Building 10
1000 East Henrietta Road, Rochester

WESTERN NEW YORK CHAPTER (Chapter phone: 716-886-7500):

·         Batavia Veterans Administration Hospital, Building 4
222 Richmond Avenue, Batavia

Additional community storm shelters are being operated by other agencies and many are receiving Red Cross support. For example, a number of cots, blankets and comfort kits have been delivered to Gates Town Hall and Greece Community Center. The Red Cross remains in constant contact with emergency officials across Western and Central New York to coordinate the most efficient and effective response to this disaster, and is prepared to provide additional relief services as needed.

An additional shelter remains open at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Colonial Circle in Buffalo for those displaced by a multi-unit apartment fire on Lafayette Street in Buffalo early Saturday morning.

With cold temperatures predicted throughout the weekend, the Red Cross encourages families to take precautions to stay safe:

      ·         Never use a generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. Locate unit away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors.

      ·         Keep all potential sources of fuel, including paper, clothing, bedding or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves or fireplaces.

      ·         Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended.

      ·         Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.

      ·         Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

      ·         Run water at a trickle to help prevent pipes from freezing

      ·         Download the free Red Cross Emergency App, which offers additional safety tips, as well as real-time weather alerts, shelter locations and more.

You can help people affected by disasters like home fires, power outages and countless other crises by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.