The American Red Cross is opening five shelters in advance of Hurricane Henri, which is expected to make landfall on Sunday.

The shelters will open at 8 p.m. tonight, Saturday, August 21, and are available to individuals and families who need assistance. The Red Cross is working in coordination with local officials and emergency management in preparation for the storm.

The Red Cross has also pre-positioned shelter and relief supplies in advance of the storm and has volunteers ready to help people in need. We are also working with community partners and emergency responders to be ready to provide aid after Henri passes if needed.

Shelters in Rhode Island will open tonight at 8 p.m. at the following locations:

• Cumberland - Joseph L. McCourt Middle School, 45 Highland Avenue, Cumberland

• Providence - Providence Career & Tech Academy, 41 Fricker Street, Providence

• Middletown - Joseph H. Gaudet Middle School, 1113 Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown

• Wakefield - South Kingstown High School, 215 Columbia Street, Wakefield

• Warwick - Pilgrim High School, 111 Pilgrim Parkway, Warwick

Individuals evacuating to a Red Cross shelter should bring essential items for each member of their family, including:

• Prescription and emergency medication
• Foods that meet special dietary requirements
• Extra clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene supplies and other comfort items
• Chargers for any electronic devices
• Books, games and other forms of entertainment

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. To help keep our workforce and the people we serve safe, we are requiring face masks regardless of vaccination status. In addition, we’re also using health screenings, enhanced cleaning procedures and encouraging social distancing as much as possible.

Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need, and all disaster assistance is free.

Anyone who needs a safe place to go can find information for open Red Cross shelters on redcross.org, 1-877-287-3327, or the free Red Cross Emergency app. Download the app by searching “American Red Cross” in your app store or by going to redcross.org/apps. You can also check with local officials and monitor local news for information on where to find emergency shelter.