Lono, thanks for the detailed info on shelters. It is nice to hear from someone who actually has extensive experience with the topic.

As I noted upthread, different situations require different responses. Certainly most of us on this forum would prefer to think we can be self reliant in all situations. However I suspect that even the most adamant "I won't ever go to a shelter, never" folks might find that a Red Cross or other shelter starts looking pretty good when faced with some situations.