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Find An Open Shelter

Find Open Shelters

If an emergency has forced you to evacuate your home, the Red Cross may be able to help.

Click or tap the red markers for shelter information. View full map >>

Some of the shelters shown on the map may be operated by partner agencies and are not Red Cross shelters.

 

American Red Cross services, including food and shelter, are always provided at no cost – a gift of the American people.

Who Is Eligible to Stay in a Red Cross Shelter?

Everyone is welcome at a Red Cross shelter and all disaster assistance is free. We provide aid to all those in need, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or citizenship status. We don’t require people to show any kind of identification to enter a Red Cross shelter, just their name and where they were living before the disaster. The Red Cross is also committed to helping people with a wide range of needs, including people with disabilities and mental illnesses, whether they are children or seniors.  If you need to leave your home due to a disaster or emergency, you are welcome to come to a Red Cross shelter.

All Red Cross shelters are accessible to people with disabilities. Your service animal is also welcome. Please speak with a shelter worker if your service animal is in need of food or supplies.

Ensuring people have a safe place to stay during a disaster is a critical part of the Red Cross mission, but how we support sheltering efforts may be different in each community depending on local emergency plans and the scale of the disaster.

In most cases, every shelter we open will appear on the map above. However, in some communities, hotels or other approaches may still be more appropriate if the risk of COVID-19 is particularly high.

If asked to evacuate, listen to local officials for information about the nearest temporary evacuation point, where you will be provided information about emergency shelter options near you.

All Red Cross shelters are accessible to people with disabilities. When you arrive, please let us know if you have any specific needs or requests for equipment, supplies, food or cultural or religious requirements. Every effort will be made to accommodate your needs.

What to Bring (And What Not to Bring) to a Shelter

Emergencies can happen suddenly and you may not have time to pack. Your safety is most important – grab your loved ones and get out of harm’s way! However if you do have time to pack, please consider these tips.

Do Bring:

  • Bedding
  • Clothing
  • Medications
  • Your child’s stuffed animal, blanket or other “lovey”
  • Your emergency kit

 

Don't Bring:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Illegal drugs
  • Weapons

If it’s not safe for you to stay home, it’s not safe for your pet either. When possible, Red Cross shelter workers will do all they can to accommodate domesticated pets comfortably, however, depending on the situation, pets may need to be housed in a different location with support from animal welfare groups. Pet shelters are intended to accommodate animals that live in your home, such as dogs and cats, as well as small birds, rodents, fish, amphibians, and reptiles in enclosures. Please bring your pet(s) with you and a shelter worker will help you when you arrive. 

Service animals are always welcome in Red Cross emergency shelters and are not considered pets.

Services Offered at Red Cross Shelters

  • A safe place to sleep
  • Meals, snacks and water
  • Health services (for disaster-related conditions), such as first aid, refilling lost prescriptions or replacing lost eyeglasses
  • Emotional support and mental health services
  • Spiritual care
  • Help reconnecting with loved ones
  • Information about disaster-related resources in the community 
  • During some emergencies, we may also be able to provide other important services, such as:
    • Access to case workers to help you with disaster recovery
    • Childcare
    • Laundry
    • Direct access to services provided by our partners

 

You can access these services even if you don’t need a place to sleep: anyone with a disaster-related need can visit the shelter to be directed to the appropriate resources.  

Leaving the Shelter

We know you will be eager to return home as soon as the danger is over. In many cases, the Red Cross and our partners can help you do so: with clean up supplies; meal delivery to areas that lack power and water; and a case worker to help you access any available funding for your repair efforts.

If your home will not be ready right away, we will help you locate transitional housing. Red Cross shelters don’t close until all of our guests have a safe place to go!

How to Find Loved Ones During An Emergency
How to Find Loved Ones During An Emergency

Learn how to get back in touch if you have been separated from loved ones during a disaster or emergency. 

Locate Your Loved Ones

Clean Up and Recovery Guides

Support Red Cross Disaster Relief Efforts

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