Warming centers, shelters offer refuge from cold snap
The Arctic climate of this week will continue through the weekend, sending many people to look for emergency shelter or just a place to warm up.
A cold-weather advisory was in effect for the region through 11 a.m. Saturday, with wind chills expected to dip as low as -20.
Numerous organizations have stepped up throughout the three-county area to provide aid.
Washington County Department of Public Safety posted a map of warming centers in the county with contact information for each at bit.ly/4a0xZ4l.
City Mission in Washington is also providing a place to stay during the cold snap for people in need at its overnight emergency shelters. Leah Dietrich, director of residential programs for Washington’s City Mission, said more people have needed help since the beginning of the frigid temperatures.
With the greater urgency for keeping people out of the elements, City Mission has also expanded the hours for its shelters. Typically running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the shelters will be open 24 hours a day between now and Monday.
The men’s emergency shelter is located at 84 West Wheeling St. in Washington, while a shelter for women and women with children is located at 116 S. Franklin St. in Washington.
“If someone would come in this evening in search of emergency shelter, we’d be able to house them through this cold snap this weekend,” Dietrich said.
City Mission will keep assessing the situation to determine if the expanded hours continue past the weekend, Dietrich said.
Andrew Kelley, a planning and training officer with Fayette County Emergency Management, said the South Connellsville Fire Station had confirmed its status as a warming center with the county. The center is located at 1527 S. Pittsburgh St. in Connellsville and can be reached at 724-628-5050.
About 15 other locations had offered their services as standby centers if need arises, but had not been confirmed as active in the emergency management department’s listings, Kelley said.
Kelley advised residents looking for the latest information on warming centers to call the county’s non-emergency number at 724-430-9111 for assistance.
When people reach out, the emergency management staff will take down their location to find the nearest available shelter.
“Then our dispatchers or our supervisor will look at the list, or they’ll contact me, and I’ll contact the local coordinator for each municipality that somebody needs help with,” Kelley said.
In Greene County, people can call the County Human Services Housing Program from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 724-852-5276. The program can provide heating and utility assistance for residents.
Residents can register for the county’s Warm Nights program, which provides lodging when temperatures are 25 and below in November through March. People must call to register.
After 4:30 p.m., people should call Greene County Crisis at 1-800-417-9460 or dial 211.
Commissioner Jared Edgreen said there are many options still available for people in need of a warm place to stay.
“They’re underutilized right now,” Edgreen said. “We have plenty of space in hotels. There’s churches who have stepped up, there’s a warming house at the fairgrounds.”
Organizations also offered guidance on ways people can avoid problems that could jeopardize their homes during the cold snap, from fires to frozen pipes.
American Water customers in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties had already experienced pipe problems.
So far, there’s been about a dozen homes with frozen pipes in American Water’s service areas in Uniontown and McMurray, with another 10 in the Dilliner service system, said Brent Robinson, external affairs manager for American Water.
“This is higher than normal, absolutely, because we have not experienced this type of temperature here for the last couple of years,” he said.
The company provided several tips for protecting pipes before cold comes in, including wrapping them with insulation or heat tape — or in a pinch, even fabric or newspaper. People can also reduce their exposure to cold by fixing drafts near windows and doors, and insulating the walls around pipes.
Inside, they can open cupboard doors to let warm air flow to the pipes behind those walls, and keep a thin trickle of water moving through the pipes.
If people need to call for repairs, they should first call their water company so they can shut off the water for repairs before the plumber can fix the problem, Robinson said.
Other winter problems result not in ice, but fire.
Even before this week’s low temperatures had snapped into place, the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania had responded to more than 60 fires in Southwestern Pennsylvania since Dec. 1.
Fire calls typically go up by about 20% in the winter months, according to the organization.
The Red Cross offered several tips for fire prevention in winter:
-Cooking ranges and ovens should never be used to heat the home.
-Space heaters should never be left unattended, and users should turn them off before they go to bed. They should also be kept on a level, hard, nonflammable surface and should only be plugged directly into outlets.
-Never leave fires in a fireplace unattended and ensure it is fully extinguished before going to bed or leaving the home.