County addressing need for weather shelters

Published 3:27 pm Monday, June 24, 2024

SOUTH BEND — A deal is being worked out to provide emergency severe weather shelters at both ends of Pacific County. The Pacific County Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with several other entities, is spearheading the project.

Pacific County has had its fair share of wild and dangerous weather over the past five years, including tornado watches, severe thunderstorms, wind, and ice and snowstorms. The most hazardous conditions are severe cold and heat on the homeless population, who are most vulnerable.

PCEMA Director Scott McDougall incurred some reaction this year after a severe cold snap in January did not elicit a warming shelter. Unknown to most of the public, McDougall unexpectedly lost his father at the same time.

“I would have liked to have been in a place where I could have scrambled and put something together, but with my dad passing I just was not able to do that,” McDougall said. “We really didn’t have a good alternative for people in the January event.

“Not wanting to let that happen again, PCEMA has a group of people who are supporting it, but we don’t have the recovery organizations in our community that many communities have that allow for them to take over sheltering,” he added.

The exact locations of the severe weather shelters are still to be determined. Grays Harbor campuses in Raymond and Ilwaco are considered the most logical locations. McDougall is working to complete a contract with the facilities and a transportation program.

Another significant issue is the availability of volunteers. The shelters would have to be staffed on varying shifts, which could be daytime hours for heatwaves over 90 degrees or overnight or day and night for cold snaps where temperatures are 32 degrees or less for more than four hours on consecutive nights.

If volunteer numbers rise, additional shelters could be a possibility.

“Right now we have about a dozen volunteers, but when you look at the overall means for each shelter location on a specific night, we have to have a minimum of two people in the shelter staffing the shelter at any time the shelter is open,” McDougall said.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can email McDougall at smcdougall@co.pacific.wa.us, or administrative assistant Marci Medina at mmedina@co.pacific.wa.us.

Applicants will be provided a packet and asked to fill out a volunteer form and will have to undergo a Washington State Patrol background check.