Red Cross Overhauls Evacuation Shelter Guidelines Because of Coronavirus Pandemic

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 140 million Americans have been ordered or advised to stay at home.

Millions more have been told to practice social distancing and stay at least 6 feet away from other people.

But what happens if — in the midst of this outbreak — people have to leave their homes because of a disaster like a fire, flood or hurricane? A disease like COVID-19 could turn a traditional evacuation shelter into an infection epicenter.

The American Red Cross, which typically operates disaster shelters across the United States, is putting in place new guidelines for housing people in emergencies.

The new protocols have already been used several times in the past four or five days, Trevor Riggen, senior vice president for disaster cycle services at the Red Cross, told weather.com on Tuesday.

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Hurricanes and floods get the most attention, but the Red Cross responds to 200 house fires a day, Riggen said. A few months ago, the organization began overhauling how it would respond to a house fire during an epidemic.

"How would we send a team of volunteers at 2 in the morning to help a family find housing in an emergent situation, provide financial assistance, case work and mental health support, all while protecting our clients and our workers at the same time?" Riggen said the agency asked.

Virtual tools, such as FaceTime or other video telephone services, have been one way Red Cross workers can provide human interaction with clients while not being in the same room, he said.

Next, the workers ask, "Is there a better alternative to a shelter?"

A hotel is typically a better option, Riggen said, and they have been used several times recently, including after an apartment fire in Jacksonville, Florida, and the earthquake in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Now, as the Red Cross ramps up for possible flooding in the upper Midwest, wildfires in California and tornadoes in the South, it is working with local governments to find shelter alternatives. For example, dorms at a school that is closed because of the coronavirus could house evacuees, Riggen said.

When the only option is a large open room like a gymnasium or convention center, the Red Cross will partner with local public health officials to screen people at the door, he said. They'll check temperatures, ask about symptoms and run through a list of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention questions.

"If you answer that you've traveled to a certain place in a certain amount of time or you're symptomatic or have a fever, we would move you into isolation," Riggen said, adding that the isolated rooms would be managed by health professionals.

The Red Cross has separate protocols for the isolated spaces based on experience with other outbreaks, such as the norovirus.

Changes will happen in the general population area of shelters as well, Riggen said.

Even more attention will be paid to hygiene, he said. Hard surfaces will be washed multiple times a day. More hand-washing stations will be set up.

The additional screenings and a desire to ensure shelters have robust health and mental health services will add strain to already stressed resources, Riggen said.

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The tradition with shelters had been to have many small shelters that consolidated as need declined after a disaster, he said.

The Red Cross now is looking for larger shelter spaces from the beginning to reduce the strain on resources.

"If you open 30 shelters instead of 10, you have to spread your staff over all 30," Riggen said.

Another way the agency plans to maximize resources is to have as much work as possible done remotely.

Managing logistics, arranging technology, planning and reporting can all be done virtually, he said. One team can cover a much larger area that way.

There's a greater need for remote work as the coronavirus forces travel restrictions. Also, the number of people who get sick or have to be quarantined further reduces the number of people available to staff shelters, Riggen said.

The Red Cross will look to use community volunteers as much as possible, and when a shelter is up and running, volunteers can be recruited from the evacuees.

Another change caused by the coronavirus is what can be brought into shelters.

Riggen said material donations, such as books or games, would be discouraged because every item will have to be sanitized before it is brought in. Items brought in by evacuees will also have to be sanitized, so that could mean limits on what is allowed as well, he said.

For now, the plan is to still allow pets into shelters that have locations for them, Riggen said, but interactions between the pets would be limited to prevent leashes and collars from spreading the virus.

Riggen said a priority behind all the changes is to give people every assurance that where they go will be as safe as can be.

"The last thing we want to have happen is a major disaster like a wildfire or a tornado or a hurricane or have flooding occur, and someone decides not to evacuate even when asked or ordered to out of fear of COVID-19," Riggen said.

For the latest coronavirus information in your county and a full list of important resources to help you make the smartest decisions regarding the disease, check out our dedicated COVID-19 page.