Charleston , Kanawha County , West Virginia

Three emergency shelters/warming stations remained open Wednesday evening in Kanawha County, officials said.

Kanawha County Manager Jennifer Sayre said in a news release that Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Sissonville, Salvation Army at Roane and Tennessee Avenue in Charleston and the Hansford Senior Center in St. Albans would be available as shelters/warming stations.

Sayre said temperatures are expected to be in the 30s overnight for a few nights, and officials are encouraging those who do not have power and generators to find alternative shelter with a friend or family member or at one of the available emergency shelters.

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Five emergency shelters/warming stations remained open in Kanawha County Wednesday to assist residents who were left without power after a huge storm affected the area.

Thirty-five residents stayed overnight in shelters, County Manager Jennifer Sayre said in a news release.

Shelters/warming stations available Monday were Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Sissonville, The Salvation Army in Charleston, the Kanawha City Recreation Center, the Hansford Senior Center in St. Albans and St. Paul Church in Nitro.

Across West Virginia, the remnants of Hurricane Sandy were still being felt. The American Red Cross reported 80 individuals spent Tuesday night in 15 Red Cross shelters while 35 people were in 11 other shelters around the state. Many individuals were displaced due to power outages and severe winter storms.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for further updates.

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Many West Virginians were left reeling across the state when a huge storm left them without power and in need of shelter. Emergency shelters in our area were opened in Boone, Kanawha and Putnam counties to offer a place for them to stay.

At Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Sissonville, Eyewitness News Reporter Elizabeth Noreika caught up with one family whose 4-year-old has asthma and allergies and relies on a breathing treatment several times a day. When the power went out at the Sissonville home, the boy began having trouble breathing, but thankfully his grandmother heard about the emergency shelter. He is doing OK now and will stay with his family at the shelter until the power comes back on at the family's residence.

Six other Kanawha County overnight shelters opened Tuesday: the Hansford Senior Shelter in St. Albans; the Salvation Army at Roane and Tennessee Avenue in Charleston; Kanawha City Recreation Center; Riverside High School; Cabin Creek Volunteer Fire Department and Pratt Volunteer Fire Department.

The Dunbar Church of the Nazarene, located at 16th Street and Lightner Avenue, is on standby as a shelter.

In Boone County, the Fountain of Life Church in the Rock Creek area opened Tuesday morning as a shelter, dispatchers said. If you need to warm up, dispatchers said you can head on over to the Van Fire Department. Additional shelters in the county including the Madison Memorial Building, Racine Volunteer Fire Department, Morrisvale Community Center, Wharton-Barrett Community Center and Orgas Community Center opened at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Putnam County also has a shelter. Calvary Baptist Church on Poplar Fork Road near the Teays Valley Fire Department has a shelter available for residents.

With the large number of reported power outages, Kanawha County officials are urging residents without power to stay with a friend or family member because temperatures will be falling overnight. If they do plan to stay in one of the available shelters, they should take with them:

* Prescription and emergency medication
* Extra clothing
* Pillows
* Blankets
* Hygiene supplies
* Flashlight with extra batteries
* Small board games
* Books for entertainment
* Specialty snacks and juices for those with dietary restrictions
* Basic snacks
* Baby food and formula
* Diapers
* Beach chair or camp chair
* Identification - including license or photo ID
* Insurance papers
* Other comfort items
* Specialty items for children and infants such as diapers, formulas and toys, along with other items for family members who are elderly or disabled.

Meanwhile, American Red Cross locations throughout West Virginia spent Monday night working to make sure that residents affected by the remnants of Super Storm Sandy were safe. West Virginia is one of 16 states with open shelters that housed nearly 11,000 residents. The Red Cross has deployed more than 1,300 disaster workers to the region from all over the country to help those affected by the storm.

In West Virginia, volunteers are working to address the needs of each county and make sure that individuals and families are safe. To find a Red Cross shelter, people can download the Red Cross Hurricane app, visit the Red Cross website, www.redcross.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The Red Cross is working with its partners to meet the immediate needs of the community. Officials have been in constant communication with each county’s Emergency Operations Center, and have been working with folks in the State Emergency Operations Center.

People are encouraged to register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website, http://www.redcross.org/find-help/contact-family/register-safe-listing, an online tool that helps families connect during emergencies. This site also connects with Twitter and Facebook accounts of users.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for further updates.

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