Red Cross: Number of shelters now eight

Gus Friedl, left, 87, of Brentwood, is assisted with packing a box of food rations by a volunteer with the American Red Cross at a food distribution site set up for victims of Superstorm Sandy in front of the H. Lee Dennison building in Hauppauge. (Nov. 1, 2012) Credit: Daniel Brennan
As people returned to their homes or made other arrangements, the Red Cross reduced the number of shelters it had open from 17 to eight, said Craig Cooper, national spokesman at the American Red Cross on Long Island.
Still, as the weather turned colder Wednesday, shelters saw a small uptick in the number of people coming in because they have no power or heat at home, he said.
Shelters were housing just under 2,000 people Monday night as the storm hit, with that figure dropping to around 1,400 Thursday, he said.
The largest shelter is located at Nassau Community College, he said, which has been housing, among others, those evacuated from Long Beach, Island Park and areas along barrier beaches, he said.
Shelters that are still open are:
Sachem East High School, 177 Granny Rd., Farmingville
Walt Whitman High School, 301 West Hills Rd., South Huntington
Gerald Claps Center, (former Levittown Memorial High School), 150 Abbey Lane, Levittown
Nassau fails to comply with ICE deadline ... What's in NUMC's future? ... Remembering Dolly Parton ... Explore the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery
Nassau fails to comply with ICE deadline ... What's in NUMC's future? ... Remembering Dolly Parton ... Explore the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery





