Need a Red Cross shelter in Georgia amid Hurricane Helene? How and where to find them

There are 21 counties in Florida under mandatory evacuation and over 75 Red Cross shelters open in Florida.

“There are a ton of evacuation centers in Florida, and we’ve opened several in Georgia,” Katie Zwerk, communications director from Georgia Red Cross told the Ledger-Enquirer.

In Georgia, where much of the state is expecting hurricane-force winds into the evening and throughout the night, the Red Cross has opened 12 shelters.

The 12 shelters across southern and central Georgia are welcoming all people who need assistance. They are open for people to stay dry, get a snack, or sleep overnight. Zwerk said “for the most part” shelters allow pets but double check by calling the shelter.

“We do everything we can to accommodate service animals and domesticated pets comfortably in our shelters,” Zwerk said in an email. “Sometimes, depending on the situation, pets may need to be housed in a different location with support from local partners”.

Check this website: www.redcross.org/shelter to find a shelter near you, download the free Red Cross app or call 1-800-red-cross.

“We’ve had phone calls from a lot of people wanting to go to shelters, Barbara Fontaine, business operation coordinator at the Valdosta Red Cross told the Ledger-Enquirer. “Several of these calls have had folks asking what to do about people on oxygen or on hospice. That, we don’t have supplies for.”

In Columbus, the Valley Rescue Mission has opened an emergency shelter, available from Thursday at 5 p.m. to Friday at 6 a.m. for those in need of protection from Hurricane Helene.

The location for men is at the Howard Mott Center, 2903 Second Ave., and the location for women is at the Damascus Way Women and Children’s Center, 1200 11th Ave. For more information, call 706-322-8267.