With Dangerous Wind Chill, Baltimore City Under Code Blue Extreme Cold Alert
BALTIMORE (WJZ) – Baltimore City has issued a "Code Blue" Extreme Cold Alert that will remain in effect through Saturday.
City Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa said these alerts are issued anytime the wind chill outside reaches 13 degrees or below.
"I think the wind chill today was 11. It's pretty cold out there," Dr. Dzirasa said. "(The alert is for) those residents experiencing homelessness, our older adults, those who may not have access to heat within their home."
The same conditions led WJZ's First Alert Weather team to declare an Alert Day on Friday.
If you're heading out, doctors stress the importance of making sure you bundle up.
"I think the most obvious problem is risk of hypothermia, so that's when your body drops to a dangerous temperature internally" said Dr. Mark Goldstein of Carroll Hospital.
According to Goldstein, if you're outside for too long in the cold, it can be damaging to the body.
"You're putting your organs at risk, particularly your heart -- it can cause cardiac arrest it can become a very dangerous situation very quickly," he said.
There were 57 cold-related deaths last winter, according to figures provided by the Maryland Department of Health. Of those, 19 were recorded in Baltimore, the city's second highest total over the past nine years.
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works said late Friday morning that its crews were responding to 25 water main breaks across the city.
"In normal or more moderate temperatures, we might be between 5 to 10, so there is definitely an uptick," DPW Bureau of Water & Wastewater Head Yosef Kebede said. "Holding a hand tool in 10-degree temperatures, it's very unpleasant."
Kebede said his bureau, much like Solid Waste, has struggled with staffing shortages due to COVID-19 cases, but they are beginning to see many employees return. He said crews prioritize residents without water.
DPW is reminding residents and business owners to leave a trickle of water flowing on any non-insulated pipes to prevent them from freezing.
As of 10:30 p.m. Friday, AAA Mid-Atlantic reported 1,900 calls for service for its members.
"And the vast majority of those are for dead batteries, flat tires, or when motorists need to be towed," AAA spokesperson Ragina Ali said.
Additional reporting by Kelsey Kushner
