We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
The District government transported more than 600 people to warming sites and shelters between Friday and Monday morning, as a blizzard covered the city in nearly two feet of snow.
The vast majority of transports—450 people—occurred Friday, according to the D.C. Department of Human Services’ spokesperson, before the worst of the storm. Vans operated by the United Planning Organization had to stop operating for a time Saturday as road conditions worsened. Transports continued Sunday into Monday morning, with 147 people—including two with disabilities—served during that time period.
The National Guard assisted DHS by transporting its staff and delivering meals to warming sites and low-barrier shelters. “I don’t know what we would have done without them,” says spokesperson Dora Taylor.
In total, the D.C. shelter hotline—which residents can call to request assistance for unsheltered people during hypothermia season—received 1,466 calls between Friday and Sunday. That includes 410 calls on Saturday, when winds gusted at over 35 mph for hours.
A cold emergency remains in effect. See a list of open warming sites and shelters here.