Families Share Their Shelter Experience

Over 160 people filed into the seeing shelter Saturday night from Hurricane Irene, which forecasters say will strike LI late Saturday night and through Sunday.

Many of those seeking shelter were families, as the Town of Riverhead told residents to evacuate low lying or coastal areas and mobile homes.

The crowd was a diverse group; white, black, Hispanic, Asian, infants and elderly, low income families and vacationers.  All sat on cots Saturday evening, playing card games, napping and waiting to ride out the storm.

Lakeba Banks, of Flanders, said she heard on the news that the hurricane was approaching on Friday night. 

"So, I said, I am outa here. Me and my kids," said Banks.

Banks and her four children had just moved into their home on the shore in March. Now, they said, they were hopeful their new house would be standing when they return.

"I hope it won't destroy our home," Malik Banks, 14. "I hope everybody  will be okay."

His mother said she is anxiously awaiting for Irene to move on.

"I'll be glad when the storm is over," Banks said. "I want to be back home already."

Another family from Rivehread, the Penafiels left their homes when they heard Irene would bring heavy rain and winds to the area.

Bety Penafiel said a heavy storm caused damage in her neighborhood last year so the family wasn't taking any chances this time.

Penafiel, who speaks Spanish, spoke her nine-year-old daugher, Renata.

"This happened a year ago," Renata said, "and a tree fell. And we were yelling and everything so my mom didn't want that to happen again."

Betty said that though she was concerend about their mobil home she felt safe in the shelter.

"She's worried about the high tide and our house and how it's going to be when we get back, but in here she's not so worried," Renata said.

Riverhead residents weren't the only families at the shelter Saturday night. Jean Saleshaw said her family of five was on vacation from New York City and were staying in a motel in South Jamesport when the police arrived.

"The local Riverhead police were coming around and asking homeowners and us to leave," Saleshaw said.

The family had spent the past week in Greenport and decided to extend their stay for a few more days at a waterfront motel. Jean said many of the patrons left the motel but the owner insisted on staying.

While her vacation might have had an unexpected end, Jean said she was glad that the town had set up the shelter.

"I appreciate the fact everything was organized enough to have a place for us to go," she said.