SANTA CLARA COUNTY — With another powerful winter storm just around the corner, Santa Clara County is taking steps to ensure its most vulnerable residents have places to take refuge.
County libraries, along with city of San Jose libraries and community centers, will operate as warming centers through Monday, the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management said in a news release Friday.
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Other dedicated warming centers will be open across the county. A list is available at www.preparescc.org/coldweather.
Community members who need overnight shelter in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy can contact Morgan Hill Unhoused Specialist Brian Malicdem at 669-286-0585 or [email protected], or the South County Compassion Center at 408-763-7120 for a referral to the Community Christian Church overnight warming site.
“We continue to prepare to offer vital resources to the most vulnerable,” said Kathryn Kaminski, deputy director of the county Office of Supportive Housing. “The county libraries regularly operate as warming centers and provide refuge to those facing the cold.”
Kaminski said outreach teams and volunteers are visiting homeless encampments to raise awareness about the availability of warming centers and inclement weather shelter beds.
The storm is expected to arrive Sunday. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the entire Bay Area from 4 p.m. Saturday through 10 a.m. Monday. A wind advisory will also be in effect for the Santa Clara Valley from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. The forecast calls for 30-40 mph winds, with gusts up to 50 mph.
Strong winds could create potential hazards including power outages and downed trees and lines, according to the Office of Emergency Management. Residents should avoid touching downed lines and report them to their public utilities company.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District is providing sandbags free of charge. A list of distribution sites, some of which require community members to provide their own shovels and bags, is available at www.valleywater.org/flooding-safety/flood-ready/sandbags.
Office of Emergency Management Acting Deputy Director Louay Toma urged residents to sign up for AlertSCC — available at www.alertscc.org — to receive emergency alerts and other warnings directly from the county and its various partners.
“Preparation is key, and we urge our community members to take proactive measures now,” Toma said.
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