Shelters protect homeless from brutal storm conditions - NBC12.com - Richmond, VA News

The emergency shelters aren't just for those who find themselves in the dark or without a working fridge. These places are potentially saving lives... of people who would otherwise endure Sandy, on the street.

Each person on a cot in the James Blackwell Elementary gym didn't lose power; they didn't have any.

"This is like a five star hotel," said George Anthony, who would have otherwise faced whipping rain and piercing wind in an alley by Broad Street and Boulevard.

"I'd probably freeze to death. I'd be a human fudgsicle," said Anthony.

At one of Richmond's two emergency shelters, he's dry, warm and fed, like most of people there, who are also homeless. "The Red Cross has been very good to us," added Anthony.

Pat Meadows, of the Red Cross, says volunteers continue to prepare   even though Sandy hasn't been too severe, yet.

"We have an awful lot of prep work that's still going on, meals being fixed," said Meadows. "We still haven't had the trees fall down as badly as we expect them to. The ground is starting to get soaking wet. We're still experiencing high winds.

The Red Cross says they won't be packing up any supplies until they're certain that Sandy has cleared out, and there's no more need for these shelters.

"I'm expecting more people to be out of power, more people to be out of sources of cooking and heat," anticipated Meadows.

There's are not many places at this time of year where the homeless can stay overnight in the Richmond area. The temperature could get down to just above freezing in the next few days.

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