More shelters opened in LA to protect homeless from storms
A homeless person sits under the Interstate 10 freeway in Los Angeles. FILE PHOTO (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
LOS ANGELES – With intense rain in the forecast today, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has announced it is opening additional shelters across the region to provide more space for unhoused people to escape the weather.
The Augmented Winter Shelter Program is activated during particularly cold or wet weather conditions. LAHSA’s normal Winter Shelter Program began Nov. 1 and will remain operational until March 31. That program offers shelter at a variety of fixed sites across the area.
The augmented program increases shelter space through the use of motel
vouchers. People interested in taking advantage of the shelters can dial
211 or 800-548-6047.
“The Los Angeles region has been cold recently, but the addition of rain this week could make conditions especially dangerous for anyone living on the streets,” LAHSA CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum said in a statement Wednesday.
“Thanks to the support of our partners at the city and county, LAHSA is glad to offer this resource to keep people safe and dry during storms like we expect this week.”
According to LAHSA, more than 5,400 people took advantage of the augmented shelter program during the 2022-23 winter season, a 652% increase over the previous season.
Rain battered the Southland today as the first – and smaller – of two anticipated storms doused the region and flooded multiple streets during the morning rush hour, making the commute a nightmare for thousands of Angelenos.
By early afternoon, however, the brunt of the storm had moved out of the area. But forecasters warned that showers and isolated thunderstorms were still possible into the evening, and possibly even early Friday.
Heavy rain began falling well before daybreak Thursday, making for a soggy morning commute. Flooding was reported on freeways and streets across the region.
Rainwater flooded parts of the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica, while a Sepulveda Boulevard railroad underpass in Long Beach accumulated so much water that at least two cars were covered up to their rooftops. There were no reports of any injuries. A portion of the Long Beach (710) Freeway was also flooded, forcing motorists to slow to a crawl through the area. (CNS)
