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People at the emergency snow shelter at the Lake Jackson Volunteer Fire Department spent Sunday night (February 6th) the way that most of the rest of the United States did. They ate pizza and watched the Super Bowl, said Gary Gilham of the Prince William Chapter of the American Red Cross.
"We had 33 for dinner last night," Gilham said Monday. "They have nice TVs there because it's in the bingo hall at the fire department," Gilham said of the temporary shelter where six people spent Sunday night. "We had a little Super Bowl party that was as much fun as you can have in the situation everybody was in," he said.
Gilham said that most of the people who used the shelter were just passing through. Eight people spent the night Saturday, but most stopped by for a visit, Gilham said "They come in for a hot meal to get warm and to watch TV for a little bit and see what's going on in the world," he said. "There's always snacks and fruit and vegetables and drinks, that kind of stuff out for them to have."
Gilham said the county arranged for the National Guard to transport people who couldn't make it from their houses to the shelter. Most of those people stayed briefly as well, Gilham said. "They stayed there and either family came and got them, or they went to a hotel," Gilham said. "We were like the receiving point for a lot of people."
The Red Cross and the county opened Battlefield High School early Saturday, but no one came. Gilham said he believed it was because the blizzard was so bad in the western part of the county. The National Weather Service reported that Gainesville received 27 inches of snow. "I think that had a big impact. People just hunkered down and did the best they could," Gilham said.
The severity of the storm points out that people should be prepared for disaster and that people should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least a week, Gilham said. "We don't have a lot of disasters in Prince William County, but when you do have stuff like this, you need to be self-contained for as long as you can."
Article by Keith Walker on February 8, 2010
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