Portland city and Multnomah County officials plan to declare a state of emergency this holiday weekend as forecasters anticipate snowfall and freezing temperatures continuing into next week.
A state of emergency will start on Friday. The city’s declaration will last through Dec. 31, and the county extends through Jan. 3.
“Not only does declaring an emergency give us additional tools to respond quickly and to be nimble, but it also sends a message to the community that this is really serious,” said County Chair Deborah Kafoury at a Thursday press conference.
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Recent forecasts show at least an inch of snow is likely to fall Sunday and temperatures could dip below freezing next week. Marc Jolin, the head of the city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services, said the office will open five severe weather shelters starting at 3 p.m. on Christmas Day.
The shelters will be located at The Sunrise Center (18901 E Burnside); The Salvation Army (5335 N Williams Ave); the Portland Building (1120 SW 5th Avenue); the Mt. Scott Community Center (5530 SE 72nd Ave); and the East Portland Community Center (740 SE 106th Ave). Jolin said they will stay open for “as many days as we have severe weather.”
Kafoury said people can call 211 to arrange free rides to and from the shelters. TriMet will be offering free fares for anyone going to the shelters for the duration of the county’s state of emergency. Updated information and directions to the shelters can be found here. Kafoury also said no one will have their electricity and gas shut off for non-payment through Jan. 2.
Related: Map of severe weather shelters in Portland
Multnomah County Health Officer Jennifer Vines encouraged Portlanders to check on their neighbors and look out for warning signs of hypothermia.
“It looks like confusion, clumsiness, slurred speech and stumbling. And as the body gets colder, what starts as confusion and clumsiness progresses to passing out,” she said. “I want to emphasize the importance of not assuming someone is just intoxicated and needs to be left alone.”
The Joint Office has also begun handing out severe weather supplies including sleeping bags, wool blankets, hand warmers and gloves. Portlanders who want to assist in distributing supplies to people in their neighborhood can make an appointment with the supply center by emailing JOHSsupplies@multco.us.
“I want to assure our community that through the holiday and through the severe weather, Portland first responders will be out working hard to provide critical services to those in need,” City Commissioner Dan Ryan said.