photo by: Rochelle Valverde

An American Red Cross trailer and supplies await tornado victims Wednesday morning, May 29, 2019, at a temporary shelter set up at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.

The American Red Cross closed its shelter for tornado victims at the Douglas County Fairgrounds at noon Thursday because no one arrived requiring help, a Red Cross official said.

Jane Blocher, director of the local American Red Cross chapter, said several people had preregistered for space at the shelter, but they never arrived.

The shelter opened Tuesday night after an EF-4 tornado passed through parts of Douglas County. The mile-wide twister damaged more than 60 homes.

Blocher said she was not terribly surprised by the lack of turnout at the shelter given the county’s history of helping itself.

“It’s heartening to see so many friends … reached out to those in need so that they would not need to go to a shelter,” Blocher said.

The nonprofit will now focus on reaching out and providing financial assistance to victims who need it or who lack insurance, Blocher said. She said no one had reached out to the Red Cross about needing the assistance as of Thursday evening, which is highly unusual. The nonprofit plans to reach out to victims over the next several days.