HANCOCK COUNTY — Officials from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis posted a warning this past weekend about how temperatures had dropped to below freezing and were likely to stay there until sometime next week. The weather officials noted area highs will recover to near freezing Wednesday and Thursday before turning bitter cold again late this week.
For those wondering if winter’s bitter bite would ever arrive, they’ve clearly gotten an answer in the harshest way with an arctic air blast clamped over the state for now and many days to come. The freezing cold temperatures paired with wind can be extremely dangerous, officials say.
The Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD) has prepared for winter weather for months. Organizers opened up a single central warming center this winter at the Hancock County Boys and Girls Club — a place organizers say can help up to 35 people a night.
“It’s been going well,” COAD director Jim Peters said following the weekend’s big chill. “We have had 22 different guests, many for multiple nights since we opened this season.”
T.J. Banes and her husband, David Riggs volunteer at the warming center, taking a shift once a week. Banes helped check people into the shelter calling them “guests,” out of respect.
“I think the first thing I’m thinking when you do something like this is to get them out of the cold,” Banes said. “It shows you one person can make a difference and people in our community need to be aware of the need.”
The hardest part of volunteering she said is when the people leave the next morning at 7 a.m. She knows they are walking back into the cold because the county has no type of housing program for the homeless community which she said is larger than people know.
“We don’t have transitional housing and we need that here,” she said.
Banes noted it takes a great deal of communication and coordination to have a warming center and credited Peters. Monday night, the warming center hosted three men and one woman after an official from the Greenfield Police Department found a homeless person in the cold and brought the woman in.
“It is a community effort,” Banes said. “The police department has been very helpful and cooperative. When they found someone they knew where to bring them.”
The warming center has been open ever since the weather turned colder, and Peters noted they expect to be operational at least through Friday night into next week during this round of winter weather.
“Anyone can check with Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen or Center Township Trustee’s office to find out if we are open,” Peters said. “We know these cold temperatures are going to be here for a spell.”
Center Township Trustee Thomas Lopez said people interested in going to the warming center can call 317-477-1176 and listen to the prompts that will connect them to someone working at the warming center that night.
“We accept individuals between the times of 7 and 9 p.m. but anyone working, I don’t want them to think they can’t come because they’re working,” Lopez said. “If people call, that allows us to alert the staff there who can open the doors and let you in.”
While doors are open to help the homeless in need of shelter, Peters and Lopez noted the warming center is also a place any family can come and stay should their electricity or heat go out.
“Some of these homes, particularly in the country, the furnaces just can’t keep up with the bitter cold,” Peters said. “When the temperatures are as cold as they are in the single digits, furnaces just can’t catch up.”
Lopez said they are thankful for the partnership with the Boys and Girls Club as the use of the large facility has been an ideal place where officials can help people.
“We want this to continue on which is why we’ve partnered with Jim and his group this year,” Lopez said. “In the future, we think this will become the Township’s responsibility to have a shelter and warming center, but this is not just a warming shelter; it can be an emergency center too.”
Jill Ebbert, who runs and coordinates meals at the Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen, 202 E Main St., Greenfield, is always busy in the kitchen making homemade meals for others.
“We’re staying busy,” she said. “We’re seeing the people who are going to the warming center at night coming here to spend the day, and that’s good,” Ebbert said. “We are here for anyone who is cold, needs to get warm and grab a meal.”
She did say the soup kitchen is running low on some supplies, and if anyone who is out and about could possibly drop off canned fruit, eggs, mayonnaise and bleach, they’d appreciate it.
Officials are also want to remind animal owners to bring pets inside and check on those animals who are outside to make sure their water isn’t frozen and their shelter is working to keep them warm.
When it comes to surviving the bitter cold of winter, officials say it’s best to have a plan in place in case they should lose power. Some weather tips include keeping a storm emergency supply kit handy. A typical kit might include medicines, water, nonperishable foods and other supplies which might be hard to find after a storm hits.
Adam Leonard, firefighter/paramedic and head of EMS education for the Greenfield Fire Territory, said it is imperative to prepare for the elements, and not only dress but act accordingly.
“It is highly recommended to remain indoors when the temperature is encroaching upon zero degrees Fahrenheit or below,” he said.
If the need arises to venture outside, with the exceptions of normal daily travel (i.e. to and from work, school, or the grocery store) it is important to remember to dress in warm layers and avoid exposed skin and wear a hat, gloves and cover your face.
“In below zero degrees Fahrenheit it takes less than 30 minutes to get frostbite and plan all outdoor traveling and activities with the intent to minimize any time outside,” Leonard said.
In the event of prolonged exposure to the cold elements, officials say seek shelter immediately and call 911, as the risk for hypothermia and frostbite are severely increased.
Steve Kropacek, fire marshal for GFT, offered a list of tips to reduce and avoid potential residential fires.
The list includes:
- Don’t use the stove to heat your house.
- Have a working flashlight by your bed and common areas in case of a power outage.
- Have 3 feet around space heaters and candles of combustibles.
- Know your travel routes when roads are icy and covered with snow.
- Have a drip to prevent frozen pipes.
- Don’t plug space heaters into power strips or extension cords.
- Make sure your chimney is properly cleaned and serviced.
Officials also recommend, for those who may need additional assistance, to call Healthy 365 as they have a wide range of resources available to those in need at 317-468-4231.
