Temperatures are expected to plunge well into the negatives on Wednesday night, Dec. 21, across Wyoming, with some expected to reach lows not experienced in years when factoring in wind chill, according to Sheridan County Emergency Management. Officials there and at the Wyoming Rescue Mission (WRM) in Casper, the state’s largest homeless shelter, are preparing for those who may need a warm place to stay during this time.
“The plan is, that if it's needed, it will be just one of our regular shelter locations and it would just be a building that we'd be able to open up so that somebody has somewhere warm, to stay, if for example, their the heating went out in their home at two o'clock in the middle of the night,” said Jesse Ludikhuize, Sheridan County Emergency Management Coordinator. “You can't really get a repairman out there then and if they're in a mobile home, for example, or something else, and they have nowhere else to go, there's no businesses here that are open 24 hours a day in Sheridan County.”
There are four locations, all of which are located within Sheridan, that are designated as Red Cross shelters for those needing shelter. Two are located at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds, one is at Sheridan College, and two at local churches. Temperatures are expected to reach to nearly -37 degrees in Sheridan with the wind chill factor dropping them to -50 degrees or lower.
“We've never done this before,” Ludikhuize said. “The [National] Weather Service [is] advising that the last time that the temperatures dropped this low was about 30 years ago in the [19]80s, and so this was kind of an unprecedented event of our time. So, I just wanted to make sure that if the need does arise, then we have some plans in place to make sure people are not out in the cold.”
Shelters aren’t currently open and won’t be unless police dispatch receives calls for assistance. Shelters will be available to those who need them until Dec. 23. Ludikhuize said that the county commission and local elected officials in Sheridan were supportive of offering these options for those who need them.
“The last thing we want to hear is that somebody unfortunately perishes because they have no heat and no other options,” he said.
The Wyoming Rescue Mission (WRM) in Casper is also opening its doors to anyone who is in need of shelter during the bitter cold snap. They’re currently caring for 145 people as of Dec. 20 and have room for many others.
"While most of us are battering down the hatches at home, it's important to remember that there are people out there who have no home at all,” said Brad Hopkins, WRM Executive Director in a press release. “It's our duty to make sure we provide for the least of these in times of their most imperative need."
WRM officials said there is plenty of availability for shelter and warm meals for those that need them during this season.
The National Weather Service in Riverton forecasts that Thursday’s high will be around -15 degrees in Casper.
The Red Cross has provided safety tips during times of intense and dangerous cold temperatures. Individuals needing help in other parts of the state should look at their county’s emergency services department for more information.
