Northampton administrator addresses County not offering warming shelters during power outages

Northampton County Administrator Matt Spuck addressed public questions at last night’s Board of Supervisors meeting about warming locations and emergency shelters during recent winter storms, saying the county is working to strengthen its cold weather response while balancing safety, staffing, and logistical realities unique to the Eastern Shore.

“I want to speak directly to a question that surfaced during the recent winter outages,” Spuck said. “Why Northampton County does not immediately open overnight warming shelters when power is lost?”

Spuck acknowledged that when temperatures drop and homes lose power, residents understandably want to know there is a safe and warm place to go. However, he felt that operating a shelter involves far more than simply unlocking a public building.

“It requires trained staffing, cots and bedding, food service, sanitation, security, medical support, and coordination with partners such as the Red Cross, and, in some cases, the National Guard,” he said.

Northampton’s geography presents additional challenges. With access dependent in part on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and limited transportation routes, staging personnel and equipment can take days of coordination and transport.

Currently, the county has one facility capable of serving as a warming center during a power outage: the former middle school in Machipongo, now the Northampton Community Center. The building has generator capacity and can provide temporary daytime warmth if needed.

But Spuck stressed there is a “significant difference” between a short term warming location and a fully operational overnight shelter.

“If we invite residents to relocate during icy conditions without the proper staffing, supplies and operational readiness in place, we may unintentionally create additional safety risks,” he said. “Encouraging travel on frozen roads to reach a facility that is not fully prepared for overnight occupancy is not something we take lightly.”

Spuck said approximately six people had contacted him over the past three weeks regarding warming locations. In this week’s storm, Accomack County opened warming locations at Arcadia and Nandua High Schools.

Spuck also suggested alternative approaches, such as deploying heated buses into affected communities for short term warming during outages, which could reduce the need for residents to travel on dangerous roads.

In addition, county staff are developing a more structured winter shelter plan. A communication plan will also accompany the shelter policy, with special attention to reaching residents who do not rely on electronic communication.

“When we open a shelter, it must be done safely, responsibly, and with the appropriate resources to care for our residents properly,” Spuck said. “We care deeply, and we will continue strengthening our winter response planning so that expectations and operational capacities align.”