Valentine’s Day weekend brought a Cold Emergency Alert, a blinding blizzard, brutal snow squalls and flash freezing. This winter, the D.C. Department of Human Services has issued a number of Cold Emergency Alerts. These alerts are called when the temperature falls, or is forecasted to fall, to 15˚F or below including wind chill. One or more of the following conditions may also cause an alert: snow accumulation of 3 inches or more; steady precipitation for 60 consecutive minutes; ice storms or freezing rain; sustained winds of more than 10-15 miles per hour; or other meteorological conditions or threats as determined by the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
During a Cold Emergency, additional services and support systems are put in place to protect the region’s most vulnerable population – homeless residents. These measures are added to ensure that they are protected from extreme temperatures, illness, injury and death. Such measures include increased shelter access, warming buses and designated public buildings used for emergency shelter.
To request support, homeless D.C. residents who are on the streets should contact the Shelter Hotline at [email protected]; dial 211; or call the toll-free number (1-800) 535-7572 from a payphone. D.C.’s Hypothermia Shelter Hotline provides transportation to emergency shelters and distributes items such as blankets, gloves and jackets.
