As Central Floridians brace for temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s, several cold weather shelters have opened for those who need the space.
Snow reached parts of the panhandle Tuesday morning, and in an 11 a.m. press conference, Florida Division of Energy Management Director Kevin Guthrie said 1-to-3 inches of snow are expected to fall in Florida’s panhandle.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday afternoon.
Although Central Florida is not expected to see snowy skies, resources are still opening up for those who need shelter and a source of heat.
Matthew’s Hope Ministry locations in Orange and Brevard County will both open all-day until at least Thursday, and the shelters will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for those it can. The cold weather shelters are located at 611 Business Park Blvd. in Winter Garden and 825 Forrest Ave. in Cocoa.
According to a Facebook post, however, the Orange County location is already at capacity for Tuesday and the group is seeking further support.
Those in Brevard County can also visit LifePointe Ministries at 4220 S. Hopkins Ave., Titusville. The shelter will open at 5 p.m. Tuesday night.
Lake County government will provide an overnight shelter at LifePointe Church in Eustis from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday. Those who need travel accommodations can call Lake County Connection at 352-742-2612 or visit https://ridelakexpress.com/shelters for cold weather shuttle routes.
The Bridge at 421 S. Palmetto Ave. in DeLand will open at 6:30 p.m. in Volusia County. And, Flagler County residents can find shelter at the Rock Transformation Center located at 2200 N. State St. – with bus transportation available on two sides of the county.
And, although some resources are opening, others are being shut down by the storm. Marion County Public Schools announced it cancelled outdoor afterschool activities Tuesday through a social media post.
As Florida officials and residents continue to work through the storm, more information on shelters and other weather-related resources will be available on county websites.
