Over the weekend, Sampson County for the most part dodged a bullet with the winter storm. Though roads were icy on Sunday and schools were closed on Monday, we fared far better than some of our neighbors.
One aspect of this weekend’s icy weather that drew a lot of attention was the county’s decision not to open any emergency shelters. Many took to social media to criticize this decision, and demand that the county government find some way to care for those who did not have heat or, in severe cases, even a home to shelter in.
We agree in principle with the admonition that the county provide shelter in extreme weather situations. At the very least, the Agri-Exposition Center could have been considered as a place for those suffering from the cold.
A press release from Public Information Officer Jean Ko read: “This decision is based on several operational and safety constraints, including the limited capacity of the available facilities. Hobbton Middle School and the Adult Day Care on Fisher Drive are the two facilities that will be able to provide reliable heat when power is out, with a total capacity of 396.
“Moreover, we face uncertainty regarding consistent heating at other locations, staffing and transportation challenges. Freezing and icy road conditions make staff shift coverage and employee travel hazardous.”
County Manager Allen Vann further explained post-storm on Monday that officials felt it would be best not to open shelters over the weekend, but reiterated that they were at work all weekend, monitoring weather conditions and, if circumstances had necessitated a shelter opening, the county would have opened one. Leaves one to wonder what necessitates such an opening? Freezing temperatures apparently didn’t make the list.
We’re eternally grateful that it was not a worst case scenario, but it did lead us and others to wonder “what if.” What if the storm had been much worse, with widespread power outages and many residents left with no way to find warmth?
We encourage our county government to prepare for the next extreme weather event, whether it be another winter storm, a tornado or God forbid, a strong hurricane. People will need a place to go if their homes are in danger of losing power, flooding or being otherwise destroyed. And those without homes? Well, we hate to think of what could happen to them if they have nowhere to go.
We would also like to encourage residents of our county to remain vigilant and prepared, in case another winter storm comes our way before the season is over with — which, considering the unpredictability of weather, is entirely likely. Prepare your home as best you can, bring outdoor pets inside or provide them with adequate shelter, food and water, and charge all of your electronic devices.
Also, we advise those on social media to fully read all of the information before getting all riled up. That’s probably a losing battle where social media sites are concerned, but it would save folks a lot of anger if they understood better the county’s stance and their plan of action. Of course, admittedly, we don’t think the old press release method of providing information is ideal, especially when no questions get to be asked, questions, we might add, that could open up a different course of action.
Again, we lucked out this time, for the most part. But next time, we hope we’re better prepared to weather the storm, literally and figuratively.