After Parade, Take Shelter: Code Blue For Burlington County

Anyone attending the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl parade on Thursday should take shelter as soon as it's over. With the temperature expected to drop to a low of 22 degrees, the County Health Department, in concurrence with the County Office of Emergency Management has declared a Code Blue Weather Emergency for Burlington County Thursday night.

The Code Blue will be in effect from 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8, through 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 9, due to the extreme cold temperatures forecasted overnight. County officials will assess weather conditions again on Friday to determine if additional precautions are needed.

“A Code Blue declaration is made in Burlington County when winter weather conditions pose a threat of serious harm to individuals without shelter,” Burlington County Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs said. “When a Code Blue is enacted it provides for short-term emergency shelters to those in need.”

Individuals in need of shelter, or for more information about Code Blue, can call CONTACT of Burlington County at 856-234-8888 or 866-234-5006.

“During a Code Blue declaration, we encourage residents to stay indoors in heated areas,” Gibbs said. “This is a time when we need to look out for the most vulnerable among us, especially children and older adults. Caution should also be taken with pets during extremely cold temperatures.”

For anyone taking advantage of the free beer being handed out during the parade, remember that alcohol tends to make those drinking it not realize how cold they actually are.

“When you drink, it dilates the peripheral blood vessels near your skin, which means more blood – and heat – flows to these vessels,” according to Professor Colin Drummond, head of the Section of Alcohol Research at King’s College London. “That takes blood and heat away from the core of your body. So while it feels like you’re warm because your skin is warm, your vital organs aren’t as warm as you might think they are.

“If you then go out in the cold after drinking, because you’ve got a lot of heat on the periphery of your body, you can lose heat very easily and quickly. And that can be dangerous.”

For general cold weather precautions, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/.

Patch file photo