Multnomah County, Ore., Weather Needs Stronger Response

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(TNS) – January’s snow and ice storm that wreaked havoc in the Portland area exposed the faults in Multnomah County’s extreme weather response, a new report shows.

From Jan. 12 to Jan. 17, the county opened 12 overnight shelters, and more than 1,350 people came through the doors — more than in any previous emergency in the county, the 44-page report released Monday said. Chair Jessica Vega Pederson expedited the county’s review of its response, officials said.

During the storm and its aftermath, hundreds of people also rushed to emergency rooms, the report said. Hospitals saw 101 patients for cold-related illness. Medical staff treated 23 people for carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the report. Fall injuries also skyrocketed as people battled thick ice on roads and sidewalks.

The county medical examiner suspects that four people died of hypothermia from Jan. 12 to Jan. 15. Three more died after a branch snapped, catching and collapsing a power line in Northeast Portland. Another person died of unknown causes after being transported to a shelter, the report said.

The county’s response to the storm was successful in protecting people overall, the report asserted. But on Jan. 17, when ice still coated much of the area, shelters shuttered. County officials relied on numerous weather forecasts that predicted morning temperatures would rise by mid-day and that the ice would thaw. Temperatures remained below freezing, putting unhoused Portlanders at risk of hypothermia.

“While no questions arose about the county’s support during the highest risk days, the aftermath of the storm resulted in dangerous roadway and sidewalk conditions during shelter exiting with limited options available due to numerous private sector and government closures,” officials wrote.

Emergency management officials advised the county to create flexible shelter plans for when forecasts may change to avoid premature closures. The county has already changed its approach to severe weather since the shelter debacle, allowing for the shelters to remain open even as conditions fluctuate.

The report also suggested that the county work more effectively with Portland officials to coordinate their response. In the aftermath of the storm, city and county officials each cast blame on the other for shortcomings during the storm.

The freezing temperatures caused pipes to burst and strong winds toppled trees, damaging homes countywide. The storm also cut power to thousands of homes and businesses. Shelters were not immune to these problems, the report said. Power outages and burst pipes forced one shelter to close and others had to be rearranged following damages.

Officials recommended making more investments in shelter locations in the future, equipping buildings with generators. They also said to focus on opening larger shelters, as opposed to having multiple smaller ones, to concentrate resources across fewer locations.

Other recommendations included better planning for staffing the shelters and hiring year-round support staff, the report shows. County officials struggled to properly staff shelters during the storm due to short notice, training requirements and travel challenges.

Another proposal: expand a pilot program in use during the January storm to allow people seeking shelter to safely store their weapons. The county “successfully piloted a weapons lock box system at three locations for shelter guests to store any weapons for the duration of their stay,” the report said, noting that a county partner “has now ordered additional boxes and resources for a total of 15 so all security personnel can now have weapons checkboxes with them.”

— Austin De Dios covers Multnomah County politics, programs and more. Reach him at 503-319-9744, adedios@oregonian.com or @AustinDeDios.

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