Trish Burnett, Executive Director of the Red Cross Serving the Quad Cities and West Central Ilinois, says in addition over the weekend, they handed out nearly 200 of what she calls "heater meals," similar to the military's MRE's.
"Because so many people coming to the feeding sites are coming by boat and we wanted to make sure they didn't have to come out in the high winds yesterday and today, just to make sure people weren't in their boats on the river trying to get to meal sites. I mean the sites are there, so we wanted to give them an option to keep them safe."
The meal sites are located at the Pleasant Valley Fire Station, the old fire station on Campbell's Island in East Moline, and in southwest Davenport at the corner of South Concord Street and Utah Avenue.
She says the meal sites and shelters will stay open even as the river levels fall.
"As long as there's a need and people want to be there, we will obviously be helping with that. So it's too early to tell, and we will be able to forecast better as the week progresses."
The Red Cross Shelter in Davenport on West Kimberly Road has hosted people for a total of 17 nights so far, but no one has stayed at the shelter in Moline - at Bethel Wesley United Methodist Church (1201 13th St.)