With ‘pretty historic’ cold weather on the way, South Florida activates emergency shelters
How cold will it get this weekend? University of Miami weather research scientist Brian McNoldy called the coming cold front “pretty historic” in a Friday morning tweet.
Indeed, with South Florida temperatures set to plunge into the mid-30s with wind chills in the 20s Saturday and Sunday from a cold air mass headed from Canada, shelters in Miami-Dade and Broward have been activated.
Miami-Dade shelters
In Miami-Dade, county officials in coordination with the Homeless Trust, set 2 p.m. Friday as the activation point for the plan that will continue to operate until Monday. The county will then reassess whether the cold weather plan should continue, said Charles Cyrille, interim director of Miami-Dade’s Office of Emergency Management.
If you need help to access this assistance or need more information, contact the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust Helpline at 877-994-4357 or 305-375-2273.
Broward shelters
Broward County’s cold weather emergency shelter plan runs from 6 p.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Monday.
People who may be homeless in this period can report to the following shelters no later than 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday night:
▪ The Salvation Army, 1445 W. Broward Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.
▪ The South Homeless Assistance Center, 2056 Scott St. in Hollywood.
▪ The Pompano Beach shelter at 1700 Blount Rd.
A bus will leave from The Salvation Army at 1445 W. Broward Blvd. at 5:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday nights to provide transportation to the other locations as need arises. If you need this service, you have to be at the Salvation Army by 5:30 p.m. to get on the bus.
Questions about Broward’s homeless plan can be answered via the Homeless Helpline at 954-563-4357.
For those who don’t seek the shelters, partnering agencies with Broward’s Homeless Continuum of Care plan to distribute blankets, socks and stocking hats to people on the street, Broward spokeswoman Lori Shepard said in an email to the Miami Herald.
What about COVID?
In both counties COVID-19 protocols are in effect, so expect to wear masks.
This story was originally published January 28, 2022 at 2:58 PM.
