BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- The Jefferson County Coroner's Office says they suspect three people have died of hypothermia in the last 24 hours.
Doctors from UAB hospital say hypothermia can set in quick. Young children and the elderly are at the highest risk, and it’s important to keep an eye on early signs.
“Typically, you will look at someone, their hands and feet will be cold, they will be pale, they may not have normal response if you press and see the blood flow does not come back to their fingers,” said Dr. Bobby Lewis of the UAB Emergency Medicine Department.
With temperatures expected to fall into the 20s Wednesday night, Birmingham warming centers are preparing for a rise in people needing a warm place to stay. Shelters around Birmingham say they have seen a rapid increase in people seeking warmth.
The Jimmie Hale Mission is expanding their warming center to give people a place to get out of the cold.
“This is not just a matter of convenience, people wanting to be in a little more comfortable position, it is a matter of life and death,” said Perryn Carroll, the Executive Director of the Jimmie Hale Mission.
Carroll knows the dangers this week’s cold weather will bring. In order to help as many people as possible, the Jimmie Hale Mission is moving their warming center to a larger location from their Birmingham Campus. It will be located at a property at 1569 Cooper Hill Road.
“We have plenty of room. No one will be turned away. The warming center will stay open from Thursday until Sunday, once temperatures rise again to a safe level,” Carroll added.
The Jimmie Hale Mission has a bus that picks people up at Linn Park. Pickups will start at 6pm and continue throughout the night.