A record number of people took advantage of the city’s warming center at Opportunity House on Friday night, with 22 in all showing up to get out of the cold temperatures, falling sleet and freezing rain.
Cynthia Ramey, director of the homeless shelter, said attendance had been in the six to eight range, but went to 10 on Thursday.
“And then came Friday night,” she said.
Opportunity House is a homeless shelter, but the city contracts with Depaul USA to be available as a warming center. Ramey said the facility had been operating in that capacity for a week.
Ramey said she has enough food, thanks to provisions provided by residents and other agencies in town, and she’s hoping she doesn’t lose power.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Fire Chief (Randy) Compton came by to check on us,” she said. “He’s looking for a generator or two just in case.”
Up to 30 cots are available for unhoused people to sleep on. Ramey added that bed coverings are in somewhat short supply.
“We dug into a closet and found some additional blankets,” she said. “They’re not in the best shape — a little rough and scratchy — but we’re trying to make do with what we have.”
As a warming center, the facility is operating 24 hours a day, with a police presence at all times. Ramey said anyone who has a question about the center could call the office number at (870) 569-3130.
Another shelter, Common Grounds Ministries, operates during inclement weather events, said one of the managers, Ronnie Dillon. He said the facility had three people on Friday night and that he was on his way Saturday afternoon to pick up another person who was stranded at a local truck stop. He said members of the public who have questions about the shelter can call (747) 786-4399.
As for the weather itself, so far so good.
Pine Bluff awoke to a layer of snow, enough to thrill the kids, but not enough to knock out power.
Weather forecasts changed constantly, from predictions of no precipitation accumulation to those of 10 to 20 inches leading up to the storm starting Friday.
Friday night began out with freezing rain around 8 p.m, but that eventually gave way to sleet. Electric lines appeared to be clear of any accumulation, and a check of online sites that keep up with electric outages showed Jefferson County with zero customers without power.
Sleet with some freezing rain was forecast across most of Saturday, with predicted accumulations of 1 to 2 inches of snow and between a tenth and two-tenths of an inch of ice. The forecast for Sunday was similar, with most activity stopping in the morning.
Temperatures were predicted to be bitter cold, with the low on both Sunday and Monday nights at 3 degrees.
