Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is partnering with Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) and other agencies and nonprofits to provide Emergency Cooling Shelters and relief from unhealthy air quality events for vulnerable populations during this summer’s expected extreme conditions.
Coordinators are particularly concerned for the houseless community, the elderly, and those vulnerable to exposure due to a lack of access to air conditioning or airtight buildings. They want to offer shelter when extreme heat events and wildfire smoke hit the Columbia River Gorge and Mid-Columbia regions.
“When people don’t have ways to escape extreme heat and smoke, life-threatening situations arise,” said Curt Gray, Skamania County Housing Department director for WAGAP. “Everyone should take general precautions to drink water, get out of the sun, and cool down when temperatures rise. But houseless and vulnerable community members need extra assistance, and that’s what our shelter is for,” he added.
Gray shared that many factors come into play when the partners decide to open the Emergency Cooling Shelters. “Generally,” Gray explained, “we’ll be looking for the National Weather Service to issue an Excessive Heat Warning or unhealthy air quality advisory. But other regional factors will also be considered, such as the length of the event and whether or not temperatures cool off overnight.”
Gorge and Mid-Columbia residents have access to various resources.
In Washington
• In Skamania County, WAGAP’s Emergency Cooling Shelter is located next to the Hegewald Center in Stevenson.
• In Klickitat County, partners include the City of White Salmon, which will provide an Emergency Cooling Shelter at the Fire Hall, and Father’s House Fellowship in Goldendale.
In Oregon
• In Hood River County, MCCAC will be operating from the Hood River Alliance Church as a primary location, with the Hood River Fire Department acting as a backup when the church is unavailable.
• In Wasco County, MCCAC will be operating from the St. Vincent De Paul Center.
• In Sherman County, call the Office of Emergency Management at 541-565-3100 to arrange assistance.
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“It’s very tricky coordinating our bi-state region,” said Kelli Horvath, the Housing Stabilization manager at MCCAC. “Our agency’s coverage area alone spans Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties in Orgon, with a wide range of weather patterns.
“Temperature and humidity swings can range widely from the west to the east in this region, so we have to plan for variations and be prepared to staff necessary sites when we see an Excessive Heat Warning or unhealthy air quality advisory,” said Horvath.
Horvath indicated the forecast might trigger the need for a shelter to open in one community but not another on any given day. To determine when to open emergency shelters, the group is using guidelines from the Oregon Health Authority for the definition of Excessive Heat Warning and guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency for Unhealthy Air Quality.
When they open Emergency Cooling Shelters and provide relief from Unhealthy Air Quality, WAGAP and MCCAC will share banner notices at the top of their websites, www.wagap.org/ and www.mccac.com, with a link to the most recent information, including location and hours of operation. They will also alert regional news outlets and share the information on social media. Residents are encouraged to check the websites at the start of each event for the most current shelter information.
Emergency Cooling Shelters will generally be open during the hottest parts of the day from approximately 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Teams will work with local emergency management and public health partners during smoke emergencies to provide relief from Unhealthy Air Quality conditions.
At times it is not quite hot enough for shelters to be activated, WAGAP and MCCAC will be doing outreach to vulnerable populations. This will include distributing water and other critical supplies as available.
Staffing the shelters is always a challenge. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact WAGAP at 509-281-1129 or MCCAC at 541-298-5131 ext. 200 for more information.
Learn more about “Understanding Heat Advisories” from the Oregon Health Authority, search understandha.pdf at www.oregon.gov. The document includes a Heat Index chart which helps to show the relationship between temperature and humidity levels.
Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is a 501c3 non-profit Community Action Agency that helps individuals, families, and communities. Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) is the Community Action Agency serving Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties.
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