FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE … (Rutland, Vermont – August 27, 2011) With Hurricane Irene heading north and anticipated to make landfall in New England overnight, the Vermont & New Hampshire Valley American Red Cross has announced that they will open 8 shelters.
In Brattleboro, the shelter is opening at 6pm this evening to ensure the safe transfer of seniors from a low-lying housing complex. In anticipation of potential flooding, high winds and power outages tomorrow, at 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning, the Red Cross will open 7 additional shelters. The shelter locations are as follows:
Opening 6:00 p.m. today (8/27/11):
1. Brattleboro, VT – Brattleboro Union High School – Fairground Road
Opening 9:00 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday, 8/28/11)
2. Bennington, VT – Mt. Anthony Union Middle School – 747 East Road
3. Springfield, VT – Springfield High School -- 303 South Street
4. Hartford, VT – Hartford High School – 37 Highland Avenue
5. Rutland, VT – Rutland High School – 22 Stratton Road
6. Barre, VT – Barre Auditorium
7. St. Johnsbury, VT – The St. Johnsbury School – 257 Western Avenue
8. St. Albans, VT – St. Albans Town Education Center – 169 South Main Street
These shelters are part of a network of over 300 locations across the region with whom the Vermont & the New Hampshire Valley American Red Cross has agreements for potential use during times of disaster. While a hurricane cannot be prevented, the Red Cross knows that steps can be taken to prepare. At the shelters being opened tomorrow, the Red Cross will have the capacity to shelter and feed those that may be displaced by the storm.
As the storm track and impact becomes further defined, an assessment can be made as to resources that need to be shifted to different locations or consolidated in shelter locations that are part of tomorrow’s planned opening.
