Storm Victims May Push Area Shelters to the Limit Today : Emergencies: More than 200 have sought refuge with the Red Cross in the west county so far.

With forecasters predicting cloudy and cooler weather, Oxnard and Ventura emergency shelters may be taxed to the limit today, American Red Cross officials said.

More than 200 people have sought refuge from this week’s driving rains and flooding in five hastily organized Red Cross shelters throughout western Ventura County.

And if the rain continues, “it’s very possible that we will see our Oxnard site exceed its capacity of 120 people as more and more people are rendered homeless,” said Richard Rink, disaster services director for the Red Cross.

“But it’s our policy not to turn anyone down who needs help,” he said. “After all, if we turn them down, they don’t really have any other alternatives.”

In addition to the Oxnard National Guard Armory site, Rink said the gym at De Anza Middle School in western Ventura can handle about 100 people. As of late Wednesday, 101 people had registered at the Oxnard site and 89 were signed in at the Ventura middle school, which opened Tuesday morning after the Ventura River breached its banks.

At the Oxnard site, shelter specialist Marion Holzwarth said even pets of the homeless have been provided help.

“I ended up bringing my own dome tent to help shelter their dogs,” Holzwarth said. “These dogs mean a lot to these people. The county people have brought in dog runs and food. We are crowded, but we have seen a real spirit of cooperation. Everyone’s pitching in.”

Rink said that as of Wednesday, more than 500 hot meals had been served with the help of more than 75 Red Cross volunteers at the five shelters.

Brian Bolton, executive director of the Ventura County chapter of the Red Cross, said two of the shelters--in Fillmore and Ojai--were closed Wednesday. The small number of people at those sites will be put in local motels, he said.

A shelter at the Santa Paula Community Center on Main Street is expected to remain open through today.

At the shelter in the De Anza Middle School gym, homeless men and women who had lived on the Ventura River bottom represented the majority of those escaping the cold, wet weather, according to shelter manager Kitty Peschell.

Ashley Thompson, who was a resident of the river bottom before the storms, said all her possessions were washed out to sea by the torrent.

“Everything we had is gone,” said Thompson, 33. “Furniture, sleeping bags, everything. We’re going to have to start all over again from scratch once it stops raining. It’s going to be really tough.”

Fellow river bottom dweller Gilbert Struck and his dog Bear were among those airlifted to safety from the rain-engorged river by authorities Tuesday.

“I’m very glad to be here today,” Struck said. “I’ve been given some dry clothes, some warm food and I’ve been told that my dog is going to be OK.”

Bolton said Red Cross officials are rapidly organizing disaster relief assistance centers and hope to open the sites by the weekend. At the centers, members of the public who lost property or significant material possessions may apply for grants.

“At this point, we’re concentrating on getting people out of the weather and providing them food, water and sanitary facilities,” Bolton said. “But we are trying to get the assistance centers open as soon as possible--hopefully this weekend.”

Red Cross damage assessment teams are expected to fan out across the county today to help residents size up the cost of the flood and storm damage.

Under the agency’s assistance plan, flood and storm victims may apply for reimbursement for rent, rental deposits, some furnishings, clothes, food and other essentials for themselves or their families.

Bolton said the cost to the county chapter of the Red Cross could run as high as $400,000 after all the damage is tallied.

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FYI

Saying this week’s storms have severely taxed their disaster relief budget, American Red Cross officials have put out a plea to the public for cash donations. Send donations to the Red Cross, P.O. Box 5850, Ventura 93005. For disaster assistance or more information, call 339-2234.