West Hempstead High School was designated as a kosher disaster evacuation
shelter — the first of its kind in Nassau County – in January 2011 by the Red Cross.
The Long Island Herald reported on January 12, 2011:
The American Red Cross recently designated a local school as an evacuation shelter that caters to the cultural needs of the Jewish community.
West Hempstead High School is now a kosher disaster evacuation shelter — the first of its kind in Nassau County — created specifically for the very large orthodox community of the Five Towns area, which is particularly vulnerable to flooding in the event of a major hurricane. The school was designated as such in mid-December, after the Red Cross reached out to district officials to propose the idea.
“It’s out of the flood area,” said Red Cross spokesman Sam Kille. “It also is close to the evacuation route that comes from the Five Towns — Peninsula Boulevard — so those were the key factors.”…