[Judith Anne]

To the best of my knowledge, Red Cross shelters do not allow firearms of any description inside.

Living in an urban area is the worst place to be during a disaster of any kind, imho.

[Wallace T.]

Of course, it is better to flee if you have advance warning, such as is often the case with hurricanes and floods. However, for those disasters that come too quickly to flee, as is the case with tornadoes or earthquakes, it is also better to leave town if it is a major disaster if you can do so. In the past, people could defend their homes from looters with their personal weapons. However, as the New Orleans hurricane and the Iowa floods have recently shown, out of control LEOs and FEMA bureaucrats will take away your weapons and force you into government shelters. When a state of emergency is declared, you lose whatever civil rights you have left. The bottom line is: don't trust government, especially during disasters.