In northern Arizona, many travelers have found themselves stuck due to heavy snowfall and road closures, but Red Cross has provided them a place to stay.
Shelters in Kingman, Payson and Pine opened Thursday to help aid travelers who could not make their way back home. Colin Williams with Red Cross in Arizona said the agency works closely with emergency management to open shelters in a timely manner.
“The Red Cross has disaster trailers prepositioned all over the state of Arizona," Williams said. "Volunteers that literally live in those neighborhoods will pick up the trailer, take it to the shelter location, unload it and within that shelter trailer is everything we need.”
Fifty-five people stayed in the Payson shelter and three people stayed at the Pine shelter Thursday night. The Kingman shelter closed Friday morning due to lack of demand.
“The biggest benefit is providing people really the basic things they need in a disaster and that’s a place to stay and something to eat. Those are the two major things we take care of in moments like this," said Williams.
Williams said each shelter is equipped to provide for 100 people and open to everyone.
For more information on where open shelters are located visit redcross.org/shelters.
