Baltimore's Health Commissioner Issues Cold Blue Warning For Tonight
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa issued a Code Blue Extreme Cold warning that will last from Monday evening to Tuesday morning as temperatures dip into the low teens.
During this time, a bitterly cold wind chill could expose people to temperatures as low as 13 degrees, creating conditions that could endanger the health and lives of vulnerable citizens.
"With dangerously cold temperatures expected in Baltimore, I am issuing the Code Blue Extreme Cold declaration for Monday night through Tuesday morning," Dzirasa said. "I encourage residents to stay indoors, especially those most vulnerable to cold. Extreme low temperatures can be life-threatening especially for our most vulnerable populations. Please be sure to check on neighbors who you think may be at risk to ensure that they have heat and power, and take care to shelter pets appropriately."
City health officials issue warnings about Code Blue Extreme Cold weather when there is an increased risk for cold injuries or the potential for low temperatures to kill someone. The Code Blue Extreme Cold season began on Nov. 15, 2021, and lasts until March 15, 2022, according to a health department.
The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has already reported three cold-related deaths in Baltimore during this period, the agency said.
Dr. Bhakti Hansoti, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University's Department of Emergency Medicine, described to WJZ last week how cold weather could endanger lives.
"There's a risk of you unable to keep yourself warm, there's a risk that your heart can go into cardiac arrest, there's increased difficulty that you'll be able to breathe and maintain circulation," Hansoti said.
City agencies typically offer various services to Baltimore's vulnerable citizens during the Code Blue Extreme Cold season.
These agencies distribute meals to at-risk senior citizens, provide home weatherization services, help people apply for energy assistance, and provide cold weather education along with outreach efforts, per the press statement.
For more information about Baltimore's Code Blue Extreme Cold Plan, visit the health department's website.
For other cold-related inquiries and service requests, or to find a nearby homeless shelter, residents can call 311 or 211.
