Another round of snow Thursday followed by brutal cold temperatures through the weekend will continue to tax at-capacity overnight shelters in Northampton and Amherst.
Meanwhile, officials concerned about the potential for widespread power outages and bitterly cold temperatures are preparing to open a Red Cross regional emergency center in Northampton starting Friday morning as another place people in need can go.
Thursday’s storm includes not only snow, but wind chills in the single digits to low teens. On Friday, the cold is back in full force after a one-day reprieve on Wednesday. The wind chill will drop to the 20 to 25 below zero range and get colder Friday night, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Alan Dunham.
That forecast is posing a challenge for the Interfaith Winter Shelter in Northampton and Craig’s Place in Amherst.
“We definitely have seen an increase” in the number of visitors, said Katie Miernecki, director of the Hampshire County Shelter and Housing Services, which oversees the Interfaith shelter. “I’ve been going over capacity every day.”
Between 22 and 25 people stayed at the Interfaith on Center Street each night last week, though the shelter normally hosts 20 people.
In order to accommodate everyone, Miernecki said five people have also been placed at the Grove Street Inn. The overflow shelter in Easthampton has also been used every day.
“I will not turn anybody away,” Miernecki said.
Individuals trespassed from the shelter in the past are able to use it during the extreme cold temperatures, she said.
Miernecki said she hasn’t seen the Interfaith Shelter stay open continuously this long during the 10 years she’s worked there. The shelter opened its doors full time on Dec. 26 and hasn’t closed them since.
Normally, the shelter closes at 7 a.m. after guests are given breakfast and reopens at 6 p.m. for the night. During this stretch of cold weather, around 30 to 40 people visit the center during the day.
“We’ve never had to stay open for that long without breaks. It’s usually two, three, fours days tops,” Miernecki said.
For those looking to help, donations of warm hats, gloves and coats, as well as toiletry items, can be dropped off at the shelter at 43 Center St.
At Craig’s Place in Amherst there is room for 28 guests and once its beds are filled, staff and volunteers make efforts to find space in the Northampton or Springfield shelters, and provide people means of getting to those locations.
“We run pretty much at capacity except in very warm weather, which there hasn’t been very much of this year,” said Gerry Weiss, a member of the Craig’s Doors: A Home Association board.
The shelter is currently unable to provide room for more than 28 people due to a “complicated set” of factors, according Weiss. To accommodate more people, the shelter would need an extra room at the busy First Baptist Church where the shelter is located. Creating that extra space would require additional paid staff, Weiss explained.
The shelter is also unable to open earlier or during the day. Craig’s Place opens at 9:30 p.m. and closes at 8 a.m. every day but Sunday.
“The church has been great to us. Obviously we wouldn’t have a shelter without them,” Weiss said. “At the same time, it would be better if we had our own building. We could open when we wanted and close when we wanted but we can’t.”
Volunteers are always needed at Craig’s Place and especially during this time of year as many student volunteers are out of town, Weiss said. Information on volunteering can be found at www.craigsdoors.org.
Northampton Assistant Fire Chief Jon Davine said Wednesday that the city is prepared to open the Red Cross Regional Emergency Shelter at 9 a.m. on Friday at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School on 80 Locust St.
“We want to be prepared and have the (Red Cross) shelter up and running in case people are displaced because of power outages and frozen pipes,” Mayor David Narkewicz said.
The Red Cross shelter is for all Hampshire County residents and is staffed by Red Cross personnel as well as volunteers. Pets are allowed, according to Davine.
Additionally, the city is prepared to activate the Emergency Operations Center at the fire station, if necessary, Narkewicz announced.
Predicted frigid temperatures and high winds are a recipe for issues like power outages or frozen pipes, the mayor said.
Davine encourages people to call early if they need help, rather than waiting until their home is extremely cold.
Despite the bitter cold, Miernecki said people have been doing well and are appreciative that the shelter has remained open. One benefit to the cold, ServiceNet case workers have been able to help people as they are staying put rather than venturing out into the cold.
Miernecki said she hasn’t seen anyone with cold-related medical needs but there is a doctor on-site Tuesday afternoons and Friday and a nurse on Wednesdays.
Although it hasn’t been an issue at the shelter, Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Emergency Department staff are seeing an increase in people who do not have shelter, spokeswoman Christina Trinchero said in an email.
“ER providers have seen some instances of frostbite, which is typical compared to years past when it has been this cold. Along with frostbite comes a risk of hypothermia and falls-related injuries,” Trinchero wrote.
Dr. Estevan Garcia, an ER physician and the hospital’s chief medical officer, advised residents to wear layers and limit outdoor time.
“With the windchill, it’s not just the actual temperature, it can reduce the amount of time for frostbite to as little as 5 to 10 minutes,” he said.
Two things to look out for during cold temperatures include frostbite and hypothermia. Signs of frostbite include intense pain and discoloration of the extremities. For hypothermia, confusion is a main sign as well as a temperature below 95 degrees, Garcia said.
“An ambulance should be called,” he said.
During these extreme cold temperatures, Garcia said it’s really important as a community that we check on each other.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.