Marshalltown area hit with extreme cold temperatures

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Temperatures have been uncomfortably cold in Marshalltown. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an extreme cold warning stretching from 6 p.m. last night through noon today.
Yesterday, the NWS predicted last night’s temperature to reach -15 degrees with wind chills as low as -35 degrees. Today the temperature is expected to be in the single digits at 7 degrees but the wind chill is still supposed to be -30 degrees. Tonight there should be some improvement with a temperature of 14 degrees and a wind chill of -15. Tomorrow will bring the most relief with a temperature as high as 30 degrees.
Marshall County Emergency Management Director Kim Elder said fortunately it was not as cold Saturday and Sunday, but it quickly turned “nasty.”
“It is very dangerous to go outside because of the extreme cold,” she said. “People and animals should not be out, machines don’t want to work. In my opinion, it’s terrible.”
Fortunately, strong winds are not forecasted. The NWS website states a wind child of -30 degrees will cause frostbite in as little as 17 minutes, -35 degree wind chill can cause frostbite in 11 minutes. If people do need to be outside, Elder recommends they not do that for very long, and should try to stay out of the wind.
“The wind is dangerous because it is blowing heat away from your body,” Elder said.
If someone does have to be outside, she recommends wearing lots of layers, even better if they are heated. Being hydrated is also important. While coffee is not the best beverage for that, she said it will help someone stay warm.
“The main thing is having no protection on the fingers, toes, nose and face, the parts of the body that have little fat,” Elder said. “They can get frostbitten quickly. Any exposed skin can get frostbite in minutes. Limit the time outside.”
In response to the cold temperatures, public school districts declared two-hour late starts on Tuesday, including Marshalltown, GMG, West Marshall, East Marshall, BCLUW and Gladbrook-Reinbeck. St. Francis Catholic School also declared a two-hour late start.
The temperatures were not something the schools had to consider too much yesterday as it was a federal holiday – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. So many students stayed warm at home. However, not everyone in Marshalltown had that option.
The Mid-Iowa Triumph Recovery Center, 204 E. Linn St. Ste. A, turned into a warming center after business hours. Executive Director Sharon Swope said 22 people came to the center for warmth on Sunday which had a low temperature of -7 degrees. Twelve of those people stayed overnight, taking comfort in the cots the MITRC had available.
“I was surprised how many people we had [Sunday] night,” Swope said. “It was more than we ever had before. They did not want to go back to empty buildings. You could see fear on their faces. It was that cold.”
The people who stayed long enough to warm up were given new gloves, hats, coats and additional warm clothes before they opted to leave. The MITRC put a call out on social media for blanket donations because they ran out.
“The community came through,” she said.
Swope said anyone can show up at the center at any time for warmth. While the doors lock at 10 p.m., people only need to knock. However, she said they will not be able to get back out until 9 a.m. the following morning.
The extreme cold temperatures are just another reason for Marshalltown to acquire a designated shelter for the homeless, Swope said.
“Marshalltown has no shelter, Tama has no shelter, Ames is always full,” she said. “Marshalltown really needs a shelter manned with paid employees.”
Swope hopes everyone in the community can pitch in to figure out how to make a shelter a reality.
“These people would have frozen to death,” she said. “If we look past the homeless like they are not there, what kind of people does that make us? There are a lot of homeless here. They are living in their cars, freezing because they have no gas. Several did that last week. There are young people in high school who go to school and work and live in their cars. It’s pretty sad. I don’t think people realize how many there are.”
TO DONATE:
Donations for the warming center can be sent to the Marshalltown Area United Way via the website, unitedwaymarshalltown.org; or through the mail, 709 S. Center St., Ste. 135 Marshalltown, IA, 50158. If using the mail, a “warming center” memo should be included.
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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.