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DeKalb warming centers opened 24-hours through Dec. 27; county offers weather tips

Metro ATL

DeKalb warming centers opened 24-hours through Dec. 27; county offers weather tips

Arriving before the 8 p.m. opening time and unable to stand any longer, Greg Brittain sits on the ground while he waits to spend the night in the warming center at DeKalb County Fire Station No. 3 in Avondale Estates on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.
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DeKalb County, GA — With severe winter weather on the way, DeKalb County moved to keep its warming centers open 24 hours a day through Dec. 27.

The county is also providing advice to residents about dealing with the cold.

Here are both announcements from DeKalb County:

DeKalb County Warming Centers Open 24 Hours a Day Dec. 23-27

DECATUR, Ga. – DeKalb County has three warming centers open for residents to use in the following locations 24 hours a day through 7 a.m. Dec. 27 at the following warming center locations:

— Exchange Park Recreation Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur

— Mason Mill Recreation Center, 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur

— Tobie Grant, 593 Parkdale Drive, Scottdale

Anyone staying in the warming centers must follow the county’s COVID-19 protocols that include wearing a mask, social distancing and undergoing a temperature check.

DeKalb County also is partnering with the following nonprofit organization to provide an additional warming center in the county:

— A Home for Everyone in DeKalb (Dec. 23-25).

— Tucker First United Methodist Church Cold Weather Refuge for Men and Women (Dec. 23-27)

For more information about centers offered by DeKalb County and its community partners, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/weather.

DeKalb County Shares Tips for Severe Winter Weather

DECATUR, Ga. – With temperatures forecast below freezing through the weekend, county officials have shared the following tips for winter weather:

— Exercise safety and use proper ventilation when operating alternative heat sources, such as fireplaces and electric heaters. Do not use an oven as a heat source. Do not bring grills, generators, kerosene heaters, and other outside heating devices inside to heat a home, as they emit poisonous carbon monoxide.

— Keep pets inside. It is a common belief that dogs and cats are resistant to cold weather because of their fur, but that is untrue. Like people, cats and dogs are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia and should be kept inside. Longer-haired and thick-coated dog breeds, such as huskies and other dogs bred for colder climates, are more tolerant of cold weather; but no pet should be left outside for long periods of time in temperatures below freezing.

— Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses. Detaching the hose allows water to drain from the pipe. Otherwise, a hard freeze can burst either the faucet or the pipe.

— Insulate pipes or faucets in unheated areas such as garages or crawl spaces by wrapping them.

— Know the location of the house master water shutoff valve in case of burst pipes. It may be near the water heater, washing machine or located where the water line enters the house from the street.

— Leave a pencil-lead-thin stream of water flowing from faucets during the worst of a cold spell. Running water has less of a chance of freezing.

— If a pipe freezes, do not try to thaw it using a torch with an open flame. This is a fire hazard, and it could also melt pipe solder or burst the pipe. The safest tool is a hair dryer with a low heat setting. Wave the warm air back and forth along the pipe, not on one spot.

— Check on elderly neighbors.

County residents can sign up for DeKalb County’s high-speed emergency notification system, CodeRED, which has the ability to quickly deliver time-sensitive messages via voice, email, and text to targeted areas of the county during emergency situations. To sign up for CodeRED, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov and click the CodeRED icon on the bottom of the page.

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