Vestal, NY (WBNG Binghamton) With thousands flooded out of their homes, are Red Cross shelters are filling up?
Broome County Emergency Services says 20,000 people have been evacuated.
Binghamton University is the largest place by far where people are taking refuge and getting the help they want. The shelters are hosting 1,600 people.
Gail Glover, Spokesperson for Binghamton University says, "We reached our capacity at around 4:30 P.M. Thursday and aren't taking any more evacuees. We have about 1,600 in the two shelter facilities."
The facilities are at the Events Center and the West Gym.
Action News was there on Thursday afternoon. At the Events Center, there's people outside, inside, kids playing games, people sleeping on cots, others getting a hot meal or watching TV.
The Red Cross says "there's nothing bigger than Binghamton area right now."
"We are absolutely the priority for moving all kind of aspects down here. Cots, blankets, water, food, personnel of all shapes and sizes and kinds," said Amy Laurel Hegy, American Red Cross, Public Affairs Manager.
People are coming from all over, the Red Cross says it's hard to pin-point where they're from because such large waves were coming in at a time.
Action News met a family from Canada, two others from Long Island.
The Red Cross was bringing in more cots and blankets.
Some families are staying outside because they have pets.
"I'm ready to go home right now," said Arthur Boyd, Endicott. Boyd and his parents were evacuated from Endicott with their two dogs.
In Binghamton, many people in the First Ward and East Side were evacuated.
"I was sleeping on the couch over at my mother in laws and I just heard the sirens at 5 this morning. I knew it had to be evacuations," said Adam Aissa, who was staying at the shelter with his fiance'.
At the BU Events Center, there's EMS, doctors, nurses and mental health services.
Binghamton University has set up two numbers for people who would like to check up on loved ones who might have been evacuated to the Binghamton University shelters: 888-787-0540 and 888-787-0541.
The University Emergency Response Team is working closely with the Red Cross to make sure that the evacuees are as comfortable as possible,
Binghamton University says it has cancelled classes for the rest of Thursday and setup an alert webpage and cancellation webpage http://www2.binghamton.edu/alert/index.html
http://www2.binghamton.edu/cancellations-2011-flooding.html
Many of the Binghamton University population have stopped over to sign-up as volunteers and "are doing a great job moving chairs, pushing wheelchairs and serving food," said Glover.
There's more than 100 volunteers in the building right now with more than 100 on stand-by if they're needed.
Updated Shelters as of 6 P.M. Thursday from Red Cross:
Existing Red Cross emergency shelters throughout the region are:
Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church in Sidney
Apalachin Alliance Church – 293 Tobey Rd., Apalachin
Endwell Volunteer Fire Department, 3508 Country Club Rd., Endwell
Port Crane Fire Department
Margaretville Advent Christian Church
Addison Tuscarora Elementary School
Johnson City High School, Reynolds Rd., Johnson City
Greenlawn Elementary School, Greenlawn Ave., Bainbridge
New Beginnings United Methodist Church, 300 E. Miller St., Elmira
Ulster Fire Department, 85 Rescue St., Ulster, PA
Saint Mary’s School, Corner of Elm & Walnut, Oneonta
NOTE: The Binghamton Events Center at Binghamton University is filled to capacity and cannot accept anymore residents.
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