Montana Red Cross Opens Missoula Shelter; Corralling Community

The Montana Red Cross opened a shelter at the end of day Thursday to provide space for those who cannot return to their homes due to flooding in Missoula. The shelter, located at Christ the King Church at 1400 Gerald Street, currently has no shelter population, but is staffed and ready to receive residents displaced by high water. Last February, the Montana Red Cross worked closely with Department of Emergency Services representatives in each county across the state to develop disaster plans for spring floods anticipated due to unprecedented snowfall. At that time, likely shelter locations were selected and planning with community partners occurred. “The shelter is open and ready for anyone who needs it” says Tone. Current hydrology reports indicate a rise in water today and tomorrow in western Montana and the Red Cross is prepared for that, she says. Tone says that the Red Cross has a volunteer assigned to the county emergency operations center to ensure coordination in how the agency can best support communities in the western portion of the state. That includes close daily contact with county disaster emergency service representatives, utility companies, local law enforcement and other disaster response agencies in the area.

Story from the American Red Cross