SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Seminole County Emergency Management is activating their extreme weather plan this weekend as temperatures begin to drop.
Emergency Manager Alan Harris said it is the first time this fall and winter they have done so. Although we have experienced colder weather this year, Harris said they activate whenever temperatures are expected to drop below 40 degrees for a period of four hours or more.
Harris and other county employees spent Friday morning loading supplies that may be needed, like generators and blanket, if they suddenly needed to open a shelter.
Seminole County Emergency Management is activating their “Extreme Weather Plan” this weekend.
— Catherine Silver (@CatSilverTV) December 29, 2023
Temperatures are expected to get below 40 degrees overnight. Supplies will be ready for people who need them. pic.twitter.com/JMkOmr2QN8
Harris said that would only happen if an emergency does.
“For example, if there is a large structure fire or if there is an electrical outage somewhere in the county and people are not able to heat apartments, condos, senior living facilities, places like that,” Harris said.
Most of the supplies that will be used this weekend have already been taken to the Rescue Outreach Mission. The CEO, Chris Ham, said they typically house upward of 100 people. When cold weather comes in, they expect an extra 10 to 20 to show up.
“To give you a quick picture, we have about 29 children currently sleeping in our shelter under the age of 18. That’s in a bunch of different families. We have space for men, women.”
Ham said they are considered a low-barrier shelter. They invite people to come in and meet with their intake team. Ultimately, their goal is to help people find permanent housing but Ham said because affordable housing is such an issue in Central Florida, families are struggling to make ends meet.
“The cost of rent is shooting through the roof as we kno, and for someone who is working and making $15, $16, $17 an hour, we’re seeing their rent go up $200, $300, $400, $500. You miss a couple of days of work for sickness or your child is sick, um, you’re really struggling,” Ham said.
Harris said the county is also ready to open an emergency shelter if the Rescue Outreach Mission reaches their capacity.
The county is not planning on opening warming shelters during the day because the coldest weather is expected overnight Saturday into Sunday morning.
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