Cook County Officials Warn Residents To Take Shelter Ahead Of Extreme Cold Spell
CHICAGO (CBS)--Dubbing Wednesday as what could be the coldest day in Cook County's history, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined other city officials Tuesday at a press conference to discuss cold weather safety.
Fo
r a full list of warming centers, go to cookcountyil.gov.
The impending winter blast has closed schools, government buildings, museums and some businesses Wednesday, and Chicagoans are hunkering down indoors and doing what they can to stay warm.
City officials advised residents to stock up on four days worth of food and supplies, and to layer on warm clothing and blankets while at home.
In buildings where heat is controlled by a landlord, thermostats are required to be set at 68 degrees during the day. That's 2 degrees warmer than the regularly-mandated temperature of 66 degrees.
"We can't stress how dangerous the weather will be in the next 24 hours," said Bill Barnes, Executive Director of the County's Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Temperatures could plummet to 23 below zero Wednesday night and never reach above zero until Thursday afternoon. It hasn't been minus 20 or worse since the mid 1990s.
City officials urged residents to stay inside unless it's absolutely necessary to venture outdoors.
CBS 2 has more information on what the county is doing to prepare for the cold.