TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Four people have died this winter from cold weather, according to the leader of Tallahassee’s largest homeless shelter.
Sonya Wilson with the Kearney Center said one of the center’s past clients died just last night from the cold.
With even colder temperatures expected this weekend, Wilson is worried about what’s to come.
Wilson said four homeless people have died this winter from the cold, including in one case where she was asked to identify the body.
“No matter your age or your health, it is imperative that you seek shelter,” Wilson said. “These cold temperatures can be deadly, and have been, and we’ve not seen our coldest temperatures yet.”
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The Kearney Center is already sheltering 100 more people than normal.
The center is changing its operations for the cold snap and is not requiring residents to leave and come back for another round of intake.
Wilson is pleading for people to start checking in now.
“We have a safe shelter here, we’ve got warm food, we’ve got showers, and we have beefed up services over the weekend,” she said.
Meanwhile, Leon County EMS Chief Chad Abrams said they have seen an increase in cold-weather-related injuries, but it’s still a small percentage. Of the 4,000 calls for service this month, seven relate to the cold.
“Last year, there were zero in January,” Abrams said. “So, certainly that’s an uptick, but it is still seven out of 4,600 total incidents.”
He said the EMS service has to be ready for any kind of patient at any time.
”One thing about us, we have to be prepared for any patient, any location, in any condition, any weather environment. So they’re prepared for that all the time,” Abrams said.
Data compiled by Leon County and the City of Tallahassee shows more than 300 unhoused individuals have used services within the past month. All will need to make a plan to stay warm.
Wilson said outreach workers cannot compel them to seek shelter, even if the consequences again turn deadly.
For a list of cold shelters around the Big Bend and South Georgia, click here.
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