Cold Weather Emergency Triggers Shelter Options

Mayor Boudreau has declared a severe weather event; an act which allows qualifying severe weather locations within the city of Mount Vernon to swiftly obtain permits to open and operate.

With the National Weather Service predicting temperatures at or below freezing for multiple days in the week ahead; outside living conditions for unsheltered individuals is considered to be high-risk.

The City has provided a streamlined process by which a location may qualify for operating as a shelter. The code was last utilized in March of 2019 when Skagit County Government registered its Senior Center facility on Cleveland Avenue for a severe weather shelter. Currently, no organization has notified the City of plans to operate a severe weather shelter within city limits.

Qualifying entities interested in obtaining a temporary severe weather shelter permit should contact the City of Mount Vernon’s Development Services Department at (360) 336-6214.