INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Residents are urged to take precautions as temperatures were expected to drop to the low-to-mid 30s overnight. Cold weather shelters will open Wednesday so people without adequate heat can escape the cold.
A cold weather advisory will take effect from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. Wind gusts will be as high as 25 mph.
The Vero Beach branch of The Salvation Army, a Christian international charitable organization, will open as a cold weather shelter about 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The shelter will take in the first 40 registered people. The shelter will remain in operation until 7 a.m. Thursday, emergency service officials said.
Residents can either register on-site or by calling 772-453-5383. Workers with The Salvation Army will serve light meals. The local branch is located at 2655 5th St. S.W., north of Oslo Road.
Officials with American Red Cross South Florida Region and United Way of Indian River County will assist workers at The Salvation Army.
The Source, a local Christian outreach ministry, will have its three “Dignity Buses” available daily from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. The buses, which each have a 55-bed capacity, are located at The Source’s building, 1015 Commerce Avenue, just south of the Vero Beach city limits.
Emergency service officials reminded residents to check on vulnerable people, including children, senior citizens and the homeless. Individuals should also protect their pets and plants from the cold weather.
Space heaters carry a significant amount of power, said officials with the National Weather Service. Those with space heaters should use them away from furniture and low-hanging drapery. Residents should plug space heaters in an outlet as opposed to an extension cord, which could cause the heater to melt or catch fire.