With forecasts predicting a low temperature Saturday night into Sunday morning near 30 degrees with wind chills in the low 20s -- the first freeze Osceola County has seen since January 2018 -- cold weather shelters will be available overnight at several sites this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The sites are:
First United Methodist Church of St. Cloud
1000 Ohio Avenue
St. Cloud, FL 34769
Friday/Saturday/Sunday
Ramada Kissimmee Gateway Inn
7470 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway
Kissimmee, FL 34747
Pet-friendly
Friday/Saturday/Sunday
Solid Rock Community Church of God
1904 Michigan Avenue
Kissimmee, FL 34744
Friday/Saturday only
Transportation: Per Osceola County, those needing transportation to a shelter location can travel at no cost using LYNX bus by alerting drivers that they will be going to a cold weather shelter.
The county's cold weather shelter program activates when overnight temperatures are expected to dip below 40 degrees for more than four hours. For future alerts for cold weather shelters, sign up on your phone by texting ‘coldweather’ to 888777.
FIre safety indoors: Space heaters should be kept away from draperies, clothing, beds and any other materials that are flammable and can cause a fire. Use a three-foot circle around heaters. Do not use fuel-burning devices such as grills; they release potentially deadly carbon monoxide.
Protect pets and plants: Dogs and cats that could be vulnerable to the cold may need to be brought inside or given a warm shelter to stay in. Make sure pipes and plants are protected from freezing; plants that can't be brought in can be covered with cloth blankets, NOT plastic as flowers can freeze to the plastic.
