EXCLUSIVE: Homeless agency in WA state under fire for giving homeless people 'safety tips' during bomb cyclone, not offering shelter, after woman dies when tree falls on tent

A Washington homeless agency is being called out for not giving shelter to the homeless during the bomb cyclone in the state. A homeless woman was killed in an encampment when a tree fell on her tent, but the organization had claimed that the storm didn’t "meet our current activation thresholds" and didn't try to shelter the homeless ahead of the torrent.

A “bomb cyclone” windstorm with gusts of up to 70 miles per hour ripped through Western Washington last week, causing trees to fall and cutting power for over 500,000 residents. The low-pressure system brought rain, wind, and mountain snow. Hospitals and schools lost power causing patients to be moved to other locations and schools to be closed. Tens of thousands of people are still without power almost a week later.

During the storm, at approximately 7 pm, a woman in her 50s was killed when a tree landed on her tent in a homeless encampment in the woods in Lynnwood.

Before the storm, the embattled King County Regional Homeless Authority said "While the incoming storm does not meet our current activation thresholds, we know that it is still a dangerous situation." Then they distributed "safety tips" for the homeless, saying that they “gathered some safety tips for our neighbors who are currently experiencing homelessness.”

Instead of getting people inside, the agency recommended that the homeless “Tie down tents and canopies with additional guy lines and strong pegs or anchors, especially on the side the wind is coming from (east/southeast).”  

KCRHA also recommended moving encampments “downwind (west/northwest) of a large object like a building without causing an obstruction,” and avoiding “areas with power lines, large overhanging tree branches, or dead trees.”

For people living in tents or vehicles, KCRHA recommended securing “loose objects like chairs or garbage cans that could blow away and cause damage or injury,” and avoiding “low-lying areas like tidal zones and riverbanks, as they may flood." They did not offer shelter.

The agency had a list of shelter locations but did not offer transportation or community outreach to get people to the shelters, which is what they do during cold weather events. KCRHA recommended that the homeless “Seek shelter inside a safe building. During the day, you can rely on public spaces such as malls or shopping centers and Seattle Public Libraries or King County Libraries, or day centers.” The homeless were left to their own devices. 

Lisa Edge, spokesperson for KCRHA told The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “Our current severe weather policy addresses cold weather and precipitation, heat, and wildfire smoke. Tuesday afternoon we sent out tips on how to stay safe during the windstorm with a link to shelters in the area. We're currently holding internal meetings to discuss how best to respond to windstorms since this was outside the normal weather patterns we experience.”

The agency did not reply to requests when asked why the other plans weren’t enacted or adapted given that there was plenty of advanced warning of the storm. A local hospital manager who wished to remain anonymous told Hoffman that most emergency facilities have an “inclement weather” policy that can easily be adapted for any weather situation. The storm was so severe that a 65-year-old woman was killed in her Bellevue home when a tree sliced through the roof.

KCRHA has been under fire since its inception for spending millions of dollars and having little to show for it as homelessness has continued to skyrocket. Local officials across the political spectrum have called for the agency to be shut down and the money to be diverted back to county and city agencies.

Local Democratic officials, including Governor Jay Inslee and King County Executive Dow Constantine who have supported the agency's failed efforts have been called out for being "missing in action" during the storm and its aftermath.