Multnomah County officials: Record-breaking shelter admission ‘very least we can do’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Tents are still lining the streets of Portland as the city braces itself for deadly conditions during an impending ice storm Tuesday afternoon.

Multnomah County is now heading into its fifth night of activating severe weather shelters as freezing rain begins pushing through the area, causing dangerous road conditions and the closure of several city services – including libraries.

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And while libraries may be a common spot for people to warm up during the day, county officials say local warming shelters are working to increase capacity to keep up with record-breaking demand.

According to the Joint Office of Homeless Services, outreach workers welcomed a record-breaking 1,181 people into 12 shelters Monday night – marking the highest number of guests and sites since December 2022.

Denis Theriault with Multnomah County Communications said it’s “literally the very least we can do” to ensure people’s survival.

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“We’ve got food, hot drinks…there’s clothes. Folks come in and get socks of different colors, sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, gloves. That all gets passed out,” Theriault said. “And when they leave, these are some of the stocks of sleeping bags and other things that folks are gonna get.”

Theriault said they are still in desperate need of volunteers overnight and Wednesday morning. Shelters slated to close by 8 a.m.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s office announced two new suspected hypothermia deaths, bringing weather-related deaths to a total of four since the county underwent freezing temperatures over the weekend.

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However, officials say the official cause of these deaths will not be confirmed for several weeks or even months.

On Tuesday, Gov. Tina Kotek directed the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, and the Oregon Department of Human Services Office of Resiliency and Emergency Management to employ additional resources to help during the ongoing storm.

“Over the last few days, state employees and countless local responders have worked around the clock and volunteered their time to support their fellow Oregonians in need as frigid temperatures and winter storm conditions left thousands without power and at risk for medical emergencies,” Kotek said in a statement. “I want to thank everyone across the state who continue to help those in need. In times of crisis, I’m always inspired by how Oregonians step up to take care of one another.

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In a statement to KOIN 6, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler commended the efforts of city and county workers for putting in countless hours during the severe winter weather.

“I want to recognize the heroic efforts of crews from our infrastructure bureaus such as the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland Parks and Urban Forestry, Portland Water Bureau and Bureau of Environmental Services, who have been keeping our roads safe and passable, and kept critical water and sewer services performing as we depend on them. 

As always, a big thanks goes to our first responders who are working in tandem with our infrastructure bureaus to get to community members in need of critical assistance.

I also want to thank the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management for their city-wide coordination efforts to streamline the response. Additionally, I want to sincerely express my gratitude to the City and County employees, NETs, and members of the community who have responded to the urgent need to staff warming shelters during cold weather emergencies.”

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