Tents lined San Pedro Street and 14th Street near the industrial zone by the Java Market, as homeless residents reinforced tarps before LA’s second winter rainstorm on the 20th. At 11 a.m. on the 20th, the National Weather Service issued a flood advisory through the 21st, warning that heavy rain was imminent under a dark gray sky.
Homeless residents stretched plastic bags over tents and tied them with rope. These measures help temporarily, but they collapse when the rain intensifies. Moody Ko of Father’s Table said, “When it rains, water seeps into the tent, and clothes and blankets all get soaked. If body temperature drops, it can be fatal for homeless people who are vulnerable to illness.”
Nearby merchants in the Java Market district covered mannequins and installed tarps to protect displays from the storm. Mannequins are shielded from the rain, but homeless residents often rely only on thin plastic sheets.
Next to her tent, one homeless woman cooked food over a small fire. She said, “When it rains, I can’t light a fire. I make enough food before the rain starts so I can endure the whole day.”
For those without tents, conditions are even more severe. Some stack cardboard or scrap materials into small spaces that can collapse once wet. A thin sheet of plastic is their only way to prepare.
Even a narrow building overhang becomes a shelter from the storm. At one shop entrance, a security guard appeared and told a homeless person to leave as they tried to sit under the awning.
As raindrops began to fall, one homeless man sat against a wall wrapped in an old blanket and a plastic sack. Near Hoover Street and Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, an LA city homeless shelter operates nearby, but homeless residents who could not enter the shelter had gathered again around the area.
One homeless resident, Mikey, said he knew the heavy rain was coming but had no options. His belongings were a thin jacket and a lighter. He said, “I can’t get into the shelter. I wish I had an umbrella or a tent.”
During winter storms, special gifts mean little. Staying dry and warm is what matters.
Jaesung Byun of Lifeway Church, who serves homeless residents in Skid Row, said, “On rainy days like this, homeless people struggle even more. Seeing them spend endless hours under the eaves is indescribably heartbreaking.” He added, “What they need immediately is rain gear and warm food.”
LA has about 43,000 homeless residents, and heavy rain makes accessing meals from volunteer groups difficult. Moody Ko said, “On rainy days, the number of homeless people who come to receive food drops by about half. Many can’t come out because of the rain, so we have to go and deliver food directly.”
BY YOONSEO SONG [song.yoonseo@koreadaily.com]
