The American Red Cross has opened its new Northeast Ohio Readiness Center in Mansfield.

It's in the basement of the Community Services building at 39 North Park Street, which houses the Richland County Red Cross chapter and the United Way.

The readiness center will serve twenty-two counties in the event of a disaster.

It stores large supplies of cots, non-perishable food, clean-up kits to give to people whose homes have been flooded, and includes an emergency operations center. 

Mansfield was chosen for the readiness center, because the space was available.

Community leaders toured the Red Cross Readiness Center during an open house Wednesday afternoon.