Philadelphia is implementing safety measures this week as frigid temperatures create dangerous conditions across the city and suburbs.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will dip down to 8 by Monday night, and will continue in the single digits throughout the week.
Due to extremely cold conditions, the city has opened indoor Warming Centers, which are open to anyone in need. Twenty locations, including Free Library branches, senior centers and other sites, are serving as places for homeless individuals and others to get out of the cold. A few of the sites are open 24/7, while most are either operating during the day or overnight.
“The freezing temperatures outside can be life threatening. These new Warming Centers are not just for people experiencing homelessness or sleeping outdoors. Anyone is welcome. In the case of power outages, for example, some people may need to visit a warming center,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker. “We remain committed to ensuring there are quick and easy ways for people to stay safe, like keeping warm during Code Blue events.”
Staff at the Warming Centers hand out food, blankets and other supplies. They also offer intake for unhoused people to access a shelter bed or other emergency housing, city officials said.
Anyone who needs a warm indoor place to stay can walk into any Warming Center or call the city’s Homeless Street Outreach Team at 215-232-1984. Those in need of transportation can call 215-232-1984 to get a ride to a Warming Center.
Warming Center locations
Inn of Amazing Mercy (115 E. Huntingdon St.), Hub of Hope (1400 Arch St.) and 220 North Broad Street serve as warming centers 24/7.
Nine libraries – South Philadelphia, Walnut Street West, Widener, Northeast Regional, Nicetown-Tioga, Logan, Bustleton, Blackwell Regional and Haddington – are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The overnight sites, from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., are Scanlon Recreational Center, Di Silvestro Playground, Wright Recreation Center, MLK Older Adult Center, Russo Recreation Center, Lonnie Young Recreation Center, Juniata Park Older Adult Center, Finley Recreation Center and Pelbano Recreation Center.
Winter weather preparedness
The National Weather Service has issued a weather advisory for Philadelphia, adding that cold wind chills could result in hypothermia, and experts warn that frostbite and hypothermia will occur if bare skin is exposed during these conditions.
The city’s Office of Emergency Management urges Philadelphians to dress in layers, where mittens instead of gloves (they will keep your hands warmer), cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extremely cold air, and keep children warm — especially babies — who lose body heat faster than adults, making them more vulnerable to frostbite.
If you think you or someone else is experiencing frostbite or hyperthermia, seek medical attention immediately, get to a warm location, remove wet clothing and try to warm the center of the body first. Hypothermia is a life-threatening condition.
“This cold is not just uncomfortable,” City Managing Director Adam Thiel said. “It is deadly. It is dangerous. So this is a crisis for folks who don’t have a place to go and get out of the weather.”
For more information on the city’s Warming Centers, including a complete list of locations and hours, visit phila.gov. For information on homeless outreach services, call 215-232-1984. For more tips on how to stay safe in extreme weather conditions, visit phila.gov/departments/oem.
Additional reporting by Jack Tomczuk.
