Gilroy County Prepares For Another Bout Of Inclement Weather

Press release from the Santa Clara County Government:

March 17, 2021

The County of Santa Clara is activating outreach teams to check on the unhoused and encourage people to take precautions against the cold weather expected through Saturday, March 20. The County will provide additional services until Saturday, while dangerous weather conditions persist.

The U.S. National Weather Service is predicting cold and wet weather that will result in widespread, light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds on Thursday, March 18. The event could continue until more seasonal temperatures return over the weekend. The rain is not expected to trigger mudslides or debris flows.

Due to the rain and cold temperatures, especially in South Santa Clara County areas, the County Office of Supportive Housing is securing additional after-hours shelter beds for people experiencing homelessness. It will also extend hotline hours tonight through Friday from 6 – 9 p.m. and provide additional transportation to those seeking shelter throughout the county. People should call 408-278-6420 for help or to direct someone in need of assistance.

Starting tonight at 6 p.m. through Friday night, the Gilroy Armory shelter located at 8490 Wren Ave. will have additional beds available for people who walk-in seeking shelter from the cold overnight.

Outreach teams from the County, as well as community partners, are checking on encampments and people living in their cars through Saturday morning to distribute ponchos and blankets, and to urge unhoused people to take shelter.

People should be aware of the dangers of hypothermia during cold weather events and look for signs in persons who may have prolonged exposure to the cold. The body begins to lose heat faster than it is produced and will eventually use up the body’s stored energy, which leads to lower body temperature and can be fatal. While hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.

The danger of hypothermia increases when a person uses alcohol to keep warm. This gives a false sense of warmth and can lead to heat loss. People with hypothermia are usually not aware of their condition because symptoms are gradual.

Victims of hypothermia are often:

• Older adults with inadequate food, clothing, or heating.
• Babies sleeping in cold bedrooms.
• People who remain outdoors for long periods—the unhoused, hikers, hunters, etc.
• People who drink alcohol or use illicit drugs.

Hotlines are available to direct unhoused people to services:

• Call 2-1-1: For health and human services in Santa Clara County;
• Shelter Hotline: Call the County Office of Supportive Housing at 408-278-6420 to ask for assistance.
• HomeFirst Homeless Helpline: Call 408-510-7600 or e-mail the HomeFirst Helpline at outreach@homefirstscc.org. HomeFirst’s Outreach team provides access to emergency shelter, showers, laundry, meals, and medical services.
• People without shelter can register to receive text messages about services with three steps:

1. Address a text message to: 888777
2. Type BADWEATHER in the message
3. Send the message

People 65 years of age and older who are sheltered at home should adjust the thermostat as needed to maintain a comfortable body temperature. If that is not possible, they may choose to stay with family or friends, or maintain warmth by using extra blankets and sleeping bags, drinking warm beverages and avoiding alcohol, or wearing a hat and scarf and extra layers of clothes.

Friends, family, and neighbors of older adults should check in frequently to make sure that their homes are adequately heated and that they are safe. For cold weather safety tips in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese, visit: http://bit.ly/coldweathersafe.

ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multi-cultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, California, making it more populous than 14 states in the U.S. combined. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.Visit the County of Santa Clara at: https://www.sccgov.org.

This press release was produced by the Santa Clara County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.