Milwaukee extreme cold; emergency warming center opens

As the polar vortex causes temperatures to continue to plunge, many are staying inside. 

But what happens when you have no place to go?

What we know:

On Monday, the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services opened a daytime warming site at the Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center.

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The center at 12th and Vliet is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday due to the cold.

Nick Tomaro with the Milwaukee Health Department said more than 100 people took advantage of the center on day one.

Related

Southeast Wisconsin cold weather advisory and warning; -36° wind chills possible

Very cold air will be moving in this weekend into next week. A cold weather advisory has been issued for southeast Wisconsin.

Local perspective:

Darnell Bonner said on Sunday, he was rushed to the hospital for hypothermia while waiting for a shelter to open.

"I was in fear for my life like I’m either about to go into a cold shock or something because my hand felt like cardboard," said Darnell Bonner. "I could not feel my toes at all, burning. So it was like every step I was taking it was more burn and more numbness, then I was seeing, like, dizziness."

What they're saying:

"We consider this an emergency where it is extremely dangerous to be outside," said Dr.Nick Tomaro with the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management. "We are near capacity but we’ve been able to flex up in other ways to make sure everybody has a spot inside."

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A spot inside this warming center allows people to eat, sleep and watch a movie, as opposed to the unfortunate alternative.

Related

Southeast Wisconsin warming centers; extended hours during bitter cold

Bitter cold is blanketing southeast Wisconsin and will have its grip on the region through early Wednesday. For those in need, now is a critical time to seek shelter and stay warm.

"I’ve slept on a bus, shelter and actually a park," said Dorothy Singleton, who was at the warming center. "I’ve got to bundle everything, I got and find me a corner without the wind."

In an effort to keep people safe the Milwaukee County Transit system is keeping people safe by providing two buses to take people to and from overnight warming centers.

The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.

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