Severe Weather Events
A severe weather event can be extreme cold or heat, a man-made event or a natural disaster. Such events will include flooding, flash flooding, wildfires/smoke, heavy rain, snow and cold weather, extreme heat, and other severe weather events that can cause harm to our unhoused community. Our shelters can be cooling or warming centers during the day and evening, and/or provide overnight shelter.
How We Activate a Severe Weather Event
The Task Force works alongside CRESA, the National Weather Service, AirNow, and the Emergency Alert System to constantly monitor the weather. In the winter we look at the risk for hypothermia, and rain chill. In the summer we evaluate the risk for unhealthy air quality and the potential for heat-related emergencies. We also look at the risk of flooding and flash flooding, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and lightning throughout the year.
Once the decision is made to call severe weather, the CFTH Coordinated Entry System Manager, or the CFTH Housing Hotline Supervisor will contact shelters, our non-profit partners, and local government agencies to alert them to the upcoming activation.
This initial contact allows us to track shelter space that will be available and learn the resources our shelter partners need assistance in gathering. Once that information is collected, we send out an official email to the aforementioned partners announcing the activation and providing the most updated information we have. We then notify the public through social media and a community-wide email. Our outreach team is also on the ground doing in-person outreach to unhoused people in our community.
As new information comes in, we update our social media, related web pages and send out updated emails as often as necessary during a severe weather event.
What Happens During a Severe Weather Event?
After calling a severe weather event, the Council works with our community partners to gather and distribute requested supplies, including socks, gloves, soap, and snacks to ensure they have what they need. We also work with our outreach team to ensure encampments have supplies.
To assist shelter sites in securing volunteers, we ask shelters how many volunteers and what skill levels are needed at their respective sites. This information is shared with CRESA so they can activate their volunteer network.
Donating Supplies
During severe weather events, CFTH provides supplies to shelters and warming centers to support their guests. We acquire these supplies through numerous ways like donations made through our Amazon Wish List, or by purchasing items at local area stores that can be dropped off directly to our Housing Solutions Center 2306 NE Andresen Rd, Vancouver, WA 98661, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. For a full list of needed supplies, visit our Donating Supplies page.
