ESTERO, Fla. - Nearly 600 people are staying at the Red Cross shelter in Estero flooding forced them out of their homes. WINK News wanted to know, how are officials making sure people who shouldn't be there, stay out. Namely sexual predators and offenders.

Red stop signs warn people to sign in before they step foot into the Estero storm shelter.

"There are hundreds of children at the shelter. It's extremely important to make sure they are in a safe environment," says Colin Downey of the Red Cross.

LCSO deputies stay there 24/7 and cross check a list of people in the shelter with the sex offender database. The Red Cross says parents should know their kids are protected. "The last thing we want them to worry about is whether they are safe or not," he says.

Registered sex offenders and predators have to go to their own shelter during a storm or face fines or jail. In Lee County, it's the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy.

"There was a need, where do you put these people? Somebody made a determination they'd be staying with me," says director Tim Day.

Day says whoever chose his academy made an ironic choice. In his other job, as a Cape Coral Councilman he passed two ordinances dealing with sex offenders. "Fact of the matter is I guess I prefer they come here than go to a regular shelter. Where as now, we have another set of issues to worry about," he says.

Day says the building isn't really fit for a shelter. He says the facility could withstand a storm but they don't have a generator or kitchen.

No one stayed in the make-shift shelter for Tropical Storm Fay but with three more tropical storms brewing some might be staying here soon.

"If you had to pick someone out of the hat, that cares more about it, I don't who you would find," he said Day.