As a strong cold front brings historic low temperatures to South Florida on Saturday, Jan. 29, and Sunday, Jan. 30, shelters are opening their doors in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties to help the homeless stay warm.
As a result of the front, actual temperatures in Miami and Fort Lauderdale will be around 39 degrees and feels-like temperatures could fall into the 20s.
Broward County
In response to the weather warnings, Broward County has declared a 2-Day Cold Weather Emergency from 6 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Monday.
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According to a statement from the Town of Davie's Public Information Office, homeless persons are advised to report to the following locations no later than 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday:
- Fort Lauderdale: The Salvation Army (1445 W. Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale)
- Hollywood: The South Homeless Assistance Center (2056 Scott Street, Hollywood)
- Pompano Beach: Broward Partnership Center (1700 Blount Road, Pompano Beach)
Please note that space is very limited in these shelters.
Local
A bus will leave from The Salvation Army at 1445 W. Broward Boulevard on Saturday and Sunday nights at 5:45 p.m. to transport individuals to another location. You must be at The Salvation Amy no later than 5:30 p.m. in order to get on the bus.
According to the Davie PIO's statement, if the weather forecast changes to predict warmer or colder conditions, cold weather emergency shelter nights may be canceled or extended.
If there are changes to this declaration, they will be issued no later than 1 p.m. on the date of the event, according to the statement.
If you have any questions or need additional information on the homeless plan for your area, contact the Homeless Helpline at 954-563-4357.
The Broward Sheriff's Office distributed blankets ahead of the expected cold weather.
Miami-Dade County
The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust (HT) has activated its Cold Weather Emergency Plan and has opened shelters for the homeless population as of Friday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 p.m.
According to a statement from the Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), they are coordinating with the HT to deploy additional cots, blankets, and meals to increase shelter capacity across the county.
If you require assistance with Cold Weather Sheltering, please contact the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Helpline at 1 (877) 994-HELP (4357) or (305) 375-CARE (2273).
“If you have elderly neighbors, be sure to check on them,” Erika Benitez, public information officer for Miami-Dade Office of Emergency Management said.
“Also be sure to dress in warm layers of loose fitting warm clothing.”
Benitez says people with certain health issues should take it easy.
“If you have any pulmonary issues, if you have any lung conditions to stay indoors where the cold weather won’t aggravate those conditions,” Benitez said.
Benitez also says to turn off space heaters at night and keep them far away from other items.
Palm Beach County
The National Weather Service predicts a temperature of 40 degrees or wind chill lower than 35 degrees for at least four hours in Palm Beach County.
In order to protect those seeking warmth and safety amid the dropping temperatures, the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management has activated the Cold Weather Emergency Shelter Plan for all of Palm Beach County.
As a part of the program, the Division of Emergency Management has partnered with other governmental and non-governmental organizations to open cold weather shelters for people in need of warmth and safety.
As of 7 p.m on Saturday, the following shelters will be open:
- Therapeutic Recreation Center (2728 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, FL 33461)
- Belle Glade Intake Center (341 N.W. 11th Street, Belle Glade, FL 33430)
These locations will close as necessary based on weather conditions as outlined in the Cold Weather Shelter Plan.
Palm Tran Connection will begin bus pickups to the established routes at 6:00 P.M. and 7:30 P.M.
For more information on the Cold Weather Shelters or bus pickups, visit Cold Weather Shelters or call the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management at (561) 712-6400
