MILWAUKEE – With bitter cold blanketing southeast Wisconsin, many people are fortunate to have heat in their homes. But that is not the same for everyone.
Bitter cold is dangerous
What we know:
The Milwaukee Health Department reports 61 cold-related deaths since the winter of 2020-21. Those are cases where the cold or hypothermia are listed as a direct cause or contributing factor in the death.
Normally, Milwaukee library branches are warming centers on cold days. But on Monday, Jan. 19, the library was closed for Martin Luther King Junior Day.
Other warming centers, like Repairers of the Breach, are filling the gap.
What they’re saying:
“Today is a holiday. The weather is cold, and we just decided that it’s going to be very hard to navigate,” said James West of Repairers of the Breach. “Some people won’t have anywhere to go. We have elderly people, some people on crutches or disabled. And so we’re going to stay open even until our emergency warm room opens at seven. So there will not be a gap. We’ll just go straight through 24 hours.”
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There is usually a three-hour break between the day shelter and the night shelter. But when temperatures are below zero, they stay open 24/7.
“A lot of things happen during these times and the realization of it’s too cold to be outside. Some people rekindle with their families, believe it or not, in this kind of cold weather,” West said.
Extra help from volunteers
Dig deeper:
They were at capacity on Sunday night with 30 men and 20 women. On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they are getting extra help from teams of volunteers.
“It’s really cold,” said Amariana Rogers, a 7th grader. “I actually loved it. To see and help the people who don’t have anything, to give them food, so they can eat, stay healthy.”
Drivers literally stuck
What we know:
The cold also meant serious problems for some drivers.
“I came out to move the car, and it was completely stuck to the road,” said Paul Bunge.
Bunge’s car has not moved for a day – its tires stuck in ice.
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Milwaukee Water Works blames a service pipe leak at New Stowell and Belleville on the city’s east side. Water utility officials said crews placed de-icer, which helped to free most of the cars from the ice. Bunge’s car is still frozen to the road.
Vehicle stuck in ice?
What you can do:
Milwaukee Water Works officials said anyone whose car is stuck can call the utility’s 24/7 control center at 414-286-3710.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Water Works and the Milwaukee Health Department.
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