State emergency managers are urging Floridians to practice fire safety and protect people, pets, plants and pipes as an arctic blast comes through this weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme cold warning for the region.
A low of 25 degrees is forecast for Orlando Sunday morning -- and a wind chill of 11 degrees. And state officials say it could be the coldest weather Central and South Florida have seen in more than 15 years.
District Fire Chief Raphael Ferreira with the Orlando Fire Department has a message about the safe use of heaters and fireplaces. He says homes should have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors -- they save lives.
And space heaters shouldn't be closer than three feet from anything that can burn and should not be left unattended.
“We've seen ... homes catch on fire because people either left the space heater on when they, you know, went to work or went to the store,” Ferreira said. “Space heater tips over, catches something on fire, and there goes the house.”
Orlando residents aren't used to weather this cold, and cold exposure can become a health risk. Ferreira said they need to wear layers, with sweaters and jackets if going outdoors, especially at the coldest times.
“It's not something that you just want to power through,” he said. “Because, you know, especially that wind chill and that 11 degrees, that that cuts right down to the bone. And we want to make sure that people are dressed for the weather.”
In urging preparation for the extreme cold, the Florida Division of Emergency Management offers what it calls the Five P’s:
- Protect People by limiting time outdoors in cold conditions, dressing in warm, layered clothing and using heating sources safely indoors.
- Protect Pets by bringing animals indoors and ensuring they have a warm, dry place away from the cold.
- Protect Plants by covering or moving sensitive plants indoors when temperatures drop.
- Protect Pipes by insulating exposed pipes and allowing faucets to drip to reduce the risk of freezing.
- Practice Fire Safety by keeping space heaters plugged directly into wall outlets, maintaining clearance from flammable materials, never leaving heaters, candles or fireplaces unattended, and avoiding the use of ovens, stoves, grills or generators as heat sources indoors.
For the unhouse and others without heat, Central Florida counties, churches and nonprofits have warming shelters. Here’s a list:
Brevard
In Brevard County, Matthew's Hope opens at 4 p.m. as a freezing shelter for unhoused people, beginning Monday and for each following day as long as temperatures remain very cold. The shelter is at 825 Forrest Ave., Cocoa.
The Sharing Center of Central Brevard at 113 Aurora St., Cocoa, will have a cold night shelter Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It opens at 6 p.m. and dinner and breakfast are served. Space is limited. Pets are not allowed.
Lake
Lake County announced two overnight cold-weather shelters:
- Salvation Army, 2605 South St., Leesburg. It opens for the night at 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
- Hope International Church, 13806 FL-33, Groveland. It opens for the night at 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
There's also a daytime warming center:
- Salvation Army (Leesburg) is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Lake County Transit Services will provide free rides to shelters.
Text COLD to 888-777 for Lake County updates. For full details, including transportation information visit https://lakecountyfl.gov/news/5218.
Orange
The Homeless Service Network of Central Florida has an interactive map showing the location of warming shelters in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
Orange County has two temporary warming centers, at the gymnasiums of Barnett Park Recreation Center and Goldenrod Recreation Center. Here's the schedule:
- Open Saturday from 5 p.m. continuously until Monday at 10 a.m.
- On Monday, the shelters will open again at 5 p.m. and remain open until 9 a.m. the next morning.
For residents in rural East Orange County, Bithlo Community Park will serve as a transportation hub for bus service to the Goldenrod Recreation Center. Here are the LYNX bus pickup times:
- Saturday, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m
- Monday, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
For more information, visit the county's Cold Weather page.
Also, the city of Apopka, in collaboration with First Methodist Church Apopka and faith-based volunteers, will open a Cold Weather Shelter at 201 S. Park Ave. The times for both Saturday and Sunday are from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next morning.
Please Note: Dinner and breakfast will be provided. Pets are not permitted at the Apopka shelter.
Visit www.Apopka.gov/AlertCenter for additional City Alerts and updates.
Osceola
Osceola County will have cold weather shelters Saturday through Tuesday nights. They'll open at 6 p.m. and provide a nighttime refuge.
On Saturday, the shelters are:
- Kissimmee First Church of the Nazarene, 1550 Mill Slough Road in Kissimmee
- First United Methodist Church St. Cloud, 1000 Ohio Ave. in St. Cloud
Sunday through Tuesday the shelters are:
- Kissimmee First Church of the Nazarene, 1550 Mill Slough Road in Kissimmee
- First United Methodist Church St. Cloud, 1000 Ohio Ave. in St. Cloud
- Poinciana Christian Church, 3181 Pleasant Hill Road in Kissimmee
Those needing transportation to a shelter location can use LYNX buses free of charge. Pets may be temporarily housed at Osceola Animal Services as space allows but must be dropped off in a crate or carrier. No pets are allowed at the shelters, except designated service animals.
Residents can sign up for alerts on their phone by texting ‘COLDWEATHER’ to 888777.
Seminole
According to the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, Rescue Outreach Mission, 1701 Historic Goldsboro Blvd. in Sanford has a shelter. When it reaches capacity, people will be taken to a local church for other shelter.
Seminole County library branches will be open as daytime warming centers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Volusia
Volusia County has a refuge from the cold at The Bridge in DeLand, located at 421 S. Palmetto Ave. On Saturday and Sunday nights, guests are welcome beginning at 6:30 p.m. Breakfast will be provided each morning before the shelter closes at approximately 8 a.m. For more information, Volusia residents can contact the Neighborhood Center at (386) 734-8120, ext. 601.
In east Volusia, Halifax Urban Ministries is arranging shelter with local churches and nonprofits. For residents in need of transportation, the county advises getting in touch with HUM as early as possible by calling 386-317-5886.
