Rain poured into Toni Willis’ small tent Monday night as a historic storm drenched Southern California, soaking her belongings and leaving her cold, wet and miserable.
That same night, outreach workers stopped by her tent at Century Boulevard and Main Street, offering her a bed at a nearby winter shelter.
Smoking a cigarette outside the shelter at the South Los Angeles Sports Activity Center on Tuesday, with rain still coming down, she said she was grateful.
“It’s much better now,” said Willis, 43. “I’m able to sleep.”
The storm , which has dumped rain almost nonstop since Sunday, inundating roads and causing devastating mudslides, has been brutal for the more than 75,000 unhoused people in L.A. County.
From November to March, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority opens additional shelters on top of the 25,000 temporary beds it operates year-round. This year, there are 388 regular winter shelter beds, plus six additional shelters with more than 340 beds.