With high winds and frigid overnight lows, severe weather shelters open in Bellingham
Update Nov. 27, 2019: With high winds and overnight lows in the 20s expected to hit Whatcom County in the coming days, several severe weather shelters have opened for the holiday week.
The Whatcom County Health Department announced Wednesday that severe weather shelters will be open Wednesday, Nov. 27, and Thursday, Nov. 28. The shelters first opened Tuesday, Nov. 26.
The shelters will cease emergency operations starting Friday, Nov. 29, as the women’s winter shelter at Civic Field will be opening that day, the press release stated.
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Two severe weather shelters, both located at churches, are opening their doors to add space for people experiencing homelessness on Nov. 26, according to a Whatcom County Health Department press release.
Fountain Community Church, located at 2100 Broadway in Bellingham, is welcoming adults. Check-in is at the Lighthouse Mission at 1013 W. Holly Street. Church doors will open at 6:30 p.m., the release states.
Garden St. United Methodist Church, located at 1326 N. Garden St., is welcoming families with children under age 18. Check-in is at the Opportunity Council at 1111 Cornwall Ave. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. After those hours, check-in is at the Lighthouse Mission on Holly Street. Church doors open at 7 p.m.
Overnight shelter is also available at the Lighthouse Mission Ministries Drop-In Center on Holly Street. The Drop-In Center is open during the day and can accommodate up to 150 men and women nightly.
Severe weather shelters are different than the winter shelters the city and county announced they’d be opening in November and December through February. Severe weather shelters open when there is an overnight low of 28 degrees or lower and existing shelters are at or near capacity, the release states. Other factors, such as wind chill and precipitation, are taken into account if needed.
The predicted overnight low for Nov. 26 is 31 degrees with wind chill and precipitation. The Drop-In Center is almost at capacity, the release states.
Daytime highs will drop into the low 40s on Tuesday and Wednesday and into the 30s on Thursday and Friday. Overnight lows are expected to be in the 20s as frigid air comes from the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.
A high wind warning was also issued Tuesday for sustained northeast winds of 25 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The Civic Stadium Women’s Shelter, provided by the city as an emergency overnight shelter for up to 40 women, will open Friday, Nov. 29. It will be open through February 2020. Check-in also takes place at the Drop-In Center on Holly Street.
Not all locations will operate daily during severe weather conditions. Details about which shelters are currently open and their operating hours will be updated daily on the Whatcom County Health Department’s website and an Emergency Winter Shelter Hotline.
Emergency Winter Shelter Hotline: 360-788-7983. The hotline started updating daily Nov. 1.
The Opportunity Council is also coordinating motel stays for families with children, with funding provided by the city and county. For more information, visit: www.oppco.org/whsc/.
Other resources:
Map of shelter resources: www.cob.org/shelters
City of Bellingham resources: www.cob.org/homeless
Whatcom County resources: www.whatcomcounty.us/homelessshelter
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 10:16 AM.
