What Really Happens When It Rains

Sleeping outside is really hard, even when the weather is good. In the rain, it can be dangerous and make people really ill. 

Staying Wet and Cold

Unless it’s the lightest drizzle, tent rain flies eventually soak through. Water pools underneath people’s tents, and everything inside the tent gets wet. If it rains for more than one or two days, once things are wet, they stay wet because there’s no way for people to dry things out.

Wet clothes get moldy and ruined pretty quickly, especially when they weren’t that clean to begin with. And wearing wet clothing can be dangerous, too. Even though it doesn’t get below freezing here, when you’re soaking wet, 40 or even 50 degrees can be dangerous. 

People sometimes think frostbite only happens in snow or extreme cold. But frostbite can happen anytime your skin is exposed to cold temperatures for too long. Wet weather puts people at risk of frostbite because moisture pulls heat away from the body much faster than dry air. 

A couple of years ago, during a stretch of cold, wet weather, a man we know couldn’t get dry or warm, and he ended up getting frostbite. He ended up having to get his leg amputated. Now he’s navigating homelessness in a wheelchair.

We think about him every time we see a storm coming.

There is another condition most people have never heard of called trench foot. It was first seen in soldiers standing for days in wet trenches during World War I. When people’s feet sit in cold, damp, dirty socks, their skin starts to break down. Their feet get red, swollen, and extremely painful. If it’s not treated, it can turn into an infection and even gangrene. Fingers and toes are always at risk when cold and moisture combine for too long.

We knew that the rain spell last week was coming. So we got a huge stock of tarps, blankets, joggers, and hoodies, and went out twice during that rainy stretch to pass everything out. 

These things are just the bare minimum to help people keep their fingers and toes attached.

Dodging Sweeps

The extreme importance of staying dry is what makes overpasses such a good choice for setting up camp. But overpasses are also targeted more often for sweeps. Recently, they swept the encampment at Brush and 7th in West Oakland right before a big rainstorm. At least 15 people were living there. They would have been able to stay dry if they had been able to stay there.

When they sweep, people scatter. We lose track of them, and it becomes harder to serve them. If we were making progress on getting them into housing, then that might get undone

The Need is Always There

We are giving out hand warmers, blankets, tarps, and basic nutrition supplies during this rainy season. We are also raising money for an emergency motel fund, for folks who could die if they don’t get inside. If you are able to give to help your neighbors through the storm, please consider donating today.