Resources and assistance for Sandy survival

COMFORT STATIONS

Services offered vary from site to site. Some offer meals and hot showers while others are open just to charge small electronic devices or get warm. For detailed information, call individual towns, villages, schools or charities or check their websites.

NASSAU COUNTY

-- The American Red Cross has feeding sites open from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Cedar Creek Park in Seaford and Nickerson Beach Park in Lido Beach.

-- Nassau County is offering free hot shower facilities at Cantiague Park in Hicksville, the Nassau County Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park and the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale. They will be open from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily until further notice.

-- The Town of North Hempstead has opened comfort stations with heat, showers and charging stations. The sites, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., are at the Aquatic Activity Center at Tully Park in New Hyde Park; the "Yes We Can" Community Center in Westbury and the Clubhouse at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington. Residents are asked to bring their own toiletries and towels.

-- Hempstead warming locations are open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Baldwin Senior Center, Bellmore Senior Center, Elmont Senior Center, Franklin Square Senior Center Green Acres Senior Center, Levittown Senior Center, Rosa Parks Senior Center in Roosevelt, Salisbury Senior Center in Westbury, Uniondale/Hempstead Senior Center and Uniondale/Merrick Senior Center in Uniondale, Wantagh Senior Center, Merrick Road Golf Course Clubhouse and the Echo Park Pool in West Hempstead.

SUFFOLK COUNTY

-- The American Red Cross feeding sites open from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. are at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge, Riverhead County Center and the Mastic Fire House in Mastic Beach.

-- New Village Recreation Center in Centereach will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. for warming and electronics charging.

-- Huntington residents can go to warming centers that will have food, heat and charging stations at Central Presbyterian Church, Temple Beth El, St. Hugh of Lincoln Roman Catholic Church, Light of Salvation Church, Dix Hills Ice Rink, William J. Bronson School in Northport, the American Legion Hall in Northport, Salvation Army East Northport Service Center and the Huntington YMCA. For details and hours of operation go to huntingtonny.gov.

-- Amityville residents can charge small electronic devices at the Village Hall lobby, which will be open round-the-clock. In addition, community members are invited to enjoy a hot beverage, Internet access and electric utilities at the middle school.

-- The Mastic Fire Department will open at noon with food and clothing available. The Mastic Recreation Center will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. for warming and electronics charging.

-- Saint Michaels in Gordon Heights is open until 8 p.m. for warming and charging.

-- The Robert E. Reid Senior Recreation Center in Shoreham is open for warming and charging.

DONATIONS

-- Newsday, News 12 Long Island and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation have launched Hurricane Sandy Long Island Disaster Relief. Donations can be made by calling 800-931-5707 or going to newsday.com/sandyrelief.

-- Nassau County will accept donations at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola; Eisenhower Park in East Meadow; Wantagh Park and the county's Office of Emergency Management in Bethpage.

-- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre is accepting donations at any parish. The diocese also is accepting money donations, which will be distributed to parish-based and other Catholic social service agencies.

-- Adelphi University in Garden City is accepting clothing, toiletries, and food for shelters in need in the New York City and Long Island areas. Power strips will be available for charging electronic devices.

-- Island Harvest in Mineola especially is seeking protein products in cans, personal-care items and baby items, among other donations. For more information call 631-873-4775.

-- Long Island Cares is asking for donations of diapers and baby formula for use in emergency shelters. For more information, call 631-582-FOOD or contact the agency via Facebook at facebook.com/licares.

-- Long Island Food Not Bombs seeks volunteers and donations of food, clothing, gasoline and communications devices. For more information, email longislandfoodnotbombs@gmail.com.

-- B'nai B'rith International opened a disaster relief fund for Sandy. To donate or for more information go to bbi.convio.net.

-- The Town of Hempstead has collection bins at Town Hall in Hempstead Village, Echo Park in West Hempstead and Levittown Hall. The town will be distributing food, clothing and supplies at Meadow Elementary School in Baldwin, Oceanside Park in Oceanside and Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore.

-- Long Beach city officials are accepting donations at the Ice Arena. Items needed include blankets, diapers, wipes, children's shoes, paper towels, toilet paper, batteries, socks, hats, gloves and shopping bags. Food and water donations are being accepted at the East and West elementary schools and Waldbaum's Plaza. Financial donations can be made online at longbeachny.gov or sent to City of Long Beach Relief, 1 West Chester St., Long Beach, NY 11561.

SHELTERS

RED CROSS SHELTERS

The largest Red Cross shelter is at Nassau Community College in Garden City. Others are at Robert Frost Middle School in Deer Park, Sachem East High in Farmingdale, Farmingdale High and the Gerald Claps Center, (former Levittown Memorial High School) in Levittown. Shelters also are available at Glen Cove High School and Hampton Bays Middle School, according to the Red Cross. The Eastport/South Manor High School shelter in Manorville and the Manhasset High School shelter closed. Shelter operations at Walt Whitman High School in South Huntington were moved to Huntington's Village Green Senior Center.

PET-FRIENDLY SHELTERS IN SUFFOLK

-- Brentwood Recreation Center, Brentwood

-- Woodland Building at the Eastern Campus of Suffolk County Community College, Riverhead

PET-FRIENDLY SHELTERS IN NASSAU

Nassau County Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale. The North Shore Animal League America has three mobile units and already is caring for about 100 animals.

OTHER SHELTERS

-- A special needs shelter is at Nassau Community College's CCB building.

-- An Orthodox Jewish shelter is at West Hempstead High School.

STAYING WARM

-- Gather together. A crowded room becomes warmer than one with just a few people inside. Close doors to all but essential rooms.

-- Open curtains and shades to let the sun's warmth in, then close them at dusk.

-- Wear extra, loose layers of clothing and a head cover inside, and use layers of blankets on beds.

-- Do not use electrical generators inside and don't prop open the oven door or keep the burners on for heat.

-- Early signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, confusion or sleepiness, slowed or slurred speech, stiffness in arms and legs, poor control over body movements and slow reaction.

-- The Town of North Hempstead is encouraging its 100,000 senior citizens to go to its shelters at high schools in Port Washington, Glen Cove, Locust Valley and Farmingdale or other Nassau County shelters.

CURFEWS

Suffolk County police are enforcing a curfew, prohibiting motorists and pedestrians south of Montauk Highway in Babylon Village, Lindenhurst and Copiague from dusk until dawn. Montauk Highway will remain open to traffic. Curfew violators may be arrested.

The curfew in Long Beach remains in effect, but now stretches from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. because of daylight saving time.

SCAM WARNINGS

Suffolk County police remind residents that most utility work is done outside with no need for crews to enter homes. If someone asks to enter a home, claiming to work for a utility company, ask for photo identification and look for a company logo on vehicles. If still suspicious, call 911 for police assistance.

Scambook, an online complaint resolution site, offers these tips for making donations:

-- Contact the state attorney general's office or the National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) to make sure a charity is officially registered. Websites such as guidestar.org and charitynavigator.org also can help determine legitimacy.

-- Be careful with emails or online videos. Never send personal or financial information, or wire money, in response to an unsolicited email call for donations.

-- Don't give in to pressure. A legitimate charity will not pressure or rush you to donate immediately. It's OK to say "no."

-- Never provide any personal information, such as social security number or banking information, over the phone.

-- Ask the charity how much of a donation will actually go toward providing relief for victims.

-- Fake charities commonly use logos or names similar to more widely known and established charity organizations. If anyone claims to be associated with a more well-known charity, call the official organization for confirmation.

FEMA ASSISTANCE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is temporarily closing its mobile Disaster Recovery Centers on Long Island for the duration of the nor'easter forecast to hit the area Wednesday, agency spokesman Bill Rukeyser said. The mobile centers will open when it's safe, perhaps on Thursday, he said.

The Suffolk County centers based in buildings -- at the county's HLD Building on Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge and on Center Street in Riverhead -- will remain open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m..

FEMA's Disaster Recovery Center in Nassau County, at Nassau Community College in Garden City, is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily.

The agency has activated its transitional shelter program, which allows those who cannot return to their homes because of storm damage to stay in participating hotels, motels or other housing. Applicants must first register with FEMA at a recovery center, by calling 800-621-3362 or by going to DisasterAssistance.gov.

TRANSPORTATION

The Long Island Rail Road is to extend service on the Montauk line east of Speonk Wednesday. The railroad is operating with limited hourly service on all but the Long Beach line, which remains closed. Off-peak fares are being charged. For schedule details, go to newsday.com.

Be prepared for crowded train and subway cars with greater mass transit use because of the gasoline shortage.

NICE Bus in Nassau, Suffolk County Transit buses and New York City buses are running at or near normal.

The Queens-Midtown tunnel is open to buses only. The Hugh L. Carey Brooklyn-Battery tunnel remains closed.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has Wednesday's public hearing at Farmingdale State College on proposed fare and toll increase. No new date has been announced. A hearing at the New York Marriott in Brooklyn will be held as planned from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

POWER

LIPA crews continue to work to restore power to customers across Long Island. Outages could last several more days. Electricity outages should be reported to 800-490-0075, online at liaccount.com/outage or by texting OUT to 695472.

Gas leaks should be reported to National Grid at 800-490-0045.

SCHOOLS

About 30 Long Island school districts are expected to open Wednesday.

OTHER ASSISTANCE

-- The State Department of Financial Services will be in Island Park Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting, to offer help to homeowners, renters and business owners with insurance-related issues stemming from damage caused by Sandy. The agency's Mobile Command Center, will be set up at 127 Long Beach Rd.

-- Residents and businesses in Long Beach can pick up mail at the Western Nassau Processing Plant at 830 Stewart Ave. in Garden City from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

-- New York State has extended time for Department of Motor Vehicle renewals, tax filings and payments, and bond payments for residents and businesses in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties and in New York City

-- The state also will replace food stamps lost in the storm in areas hardest hit. Current recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, will be automatically issued 50 percent of their benefits starting next week, Cuomo's office announced.

-- Touro Law Center in Central Islip will provide storm-related referrals, assistance and legal advice for local residents and small businesses affected by the storm. The law school's Hurricane Emergency Assistance and Referral Team will be staffed by volunteer lawyers and law students. Residents can call 631-761-7198 or email tlcheart@tourolaw.edu.

-- The New York State Small Business Development Center at Farmingdale State College will have a counselor at Babylon Town Hall in Lindenhurst to help small businesses with storm-related needs, including damage documentation and paperwork preparation. A counselor will be available from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. through Friday.