As freezing temperatures stay in Western Washington for a few days, warming shelters across the Puget Sound are opening their doors to those in need of shelter. The Salvation Army has partnered with the city of Seattle, King County and KCRHA to make sure those who do not have a place to go can find one.
“If people come knocking, we aren’t going to turn them away,” Marc Garcia with the Salvation Army said.
Garcia is the Director of Operations for the Salvation Army in King County. Garcia says the biggest shelter in the county is the one at Exhibition Hall in Seattle. Currently, they can house up to 120 people. Besides providing a mattress to sleep on, the Salvation Army will also offer breakfast and dinner as well as give people blankets and backpacks filled with supplies in order to get through the freezing temperatures. Garcia argues these warming shelters are life saving.
“To reduce the risk of hypothermia and death from hypothermia,” Garcia said.
Besides people, the freezing temperatures also apply to the other 3 P’s: pets, pipes and plants. KIRO7 spoke with Ray Daughtery at West Seattle Nursery about how freezing temperatures can harm flowers and other plants.
“But in cold weather these (Prim) flowers will likely burn off just because they are the most sensitive to the freezing temperatures,” Daughtery said.
Daughtery says, for the most part, a lot of plants they sell, really most plants in the area, should be able to handle the upcoming temperatures; however, he says it’s important for people to water their plants ahead of time and keep them covered in order to stay warm.
“And the big thing is when something does die or get damaged, don’t try and do anything. Plants just need time to recover,” Daughtery said.
And as people in Western Washington bundle up these next few days, many believe knowing just how dangerous this cold weather can be a matter of life or death.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say it’s really a life-or-death situation,” Garcia said.
If you are looking for a warming shelter in King County, click here to learn more.
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