Red Cross Opening Storm Shelters across Western and Central New York

New shelters open at Monroe Community College, Kendall Town Hall

The American Red Cross is opening a storm shelter at Monroe Community College and has relocated the previous shelter in Orleans County to the Kendall Fire Hall. Volunteers continue to operate five additional shelters across the Western and Central New York Region following high winds that left thousands without power and displaced many others.

Volunteers are providing residents in need with a safe, warm place to stay as well as food and water. Health Services and Disaster Mental Health volunteers are also available, and caseworkers will meet with individually with families to assess their needs.

Anyone in need of assistance can come to one of the shelters or call their local Red Cross Chapter. Shelters are currently open at the following locations (new locations in bold):

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

·         Frontier Fire Hall 

2176 Liberty Drive, Niagara Falls

·         Kendall Town Hall

1873 Kendall Road, Route 37, Kendall

·         Varysburg Fire Hall

2446 Route 20A, Varysburg

Additional community shelters are being operated by other agencies and many are receiving Red Cross support. 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 open additional shelters and provide additional relief services as needed.

As temperatures are predicted to fall well below freezing tonight, 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.