Tonight nearly 8,000 people in our region are without power and it may be days until it is restored.
That’s why the Red Cross is stepping in to help keep residents warm.
The Josephine County Fairgrounds, typically full of fun, but due to the recent winter storms and power outages the Red Cross has taken over. David Groom is just one of a handful of people at the fairgrounds tonight.
He says the Red Cross’ warming shelter has been a lifesaver.
“If it was not for these folks, I don’t know what I would have done. It was snowing so bad out there. I thought i was going to die out there waiting for someone to rescue me.”
Groom says he’s thankful for a hot meal, and volunteers say even if residents just need to escape their home for a few hours, they are more than welcome at the shelter.
“What the Red Cross does is meets peoples disaster and emergency needs such as safe, warm place to stay, food, and whatever necessities they may have lost during an event. In this case, we are primarily a warming facility.”
Volunteers have also set up warming shelters in Cave Junction and Wolf Creek and they plan to keep the shelter open until power throughout the community is fully restored.
According to Pacific Power it may still be days before power is restored in our area.
As of the latest check, more than 8,100 people in Josephine County are without power tonight. Officials at Pacific Power say they have roughly 200 crews working on restoring power however it may not fully restored until Monday.
Meanwhile roughly 1,700 residents in near Yreka are without power.
Officials estimate power may not be restored there until Wednesday.
Officials have set up a number for the elderly needing transportation to a shelter. That number is 541-474-5305
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