American Red Cross closes remaining shelters

The American Red Cross has closed all shelters in Southeast Missouri, executive director Cheryl Klueppel announced today.

Klueppel said the organization now will concentrate its efforts on food distribution. Three Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles are distributing food to communities without electricity.

Since the onset of the January winter storm the Red Cross provided more than 8,000 overnight stays and served about 40,000 meals in shelters and affected communities throughout the region. The organization operated shelters in Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Scott counties. The final three shelters closed on Monday were located in Miner, Mo., Kennett, Mo., and Cape Girardeau.