‘Code Blue’ In Newark Amid Winter Weather; Homeless Shelters Open

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the City of Newark. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Mayor Ras Baraka and Department of Health and Community Wellness Director Mark Wade are activating a “Code Blue” for Thursday, January 6, through Saturday, January 8. Over this three-day period, temperatures are expected to drop to a low of 20°F with a wind chill factor as low as 9°F, along with possible snow accumulations of one to three inches.

“Code Blue” is called when temperatures reach 25°F or lower without precipitation, 32°F with precipitation, or when there is a wind chill factor of 0°. Residents are reminded to continue being cautious during extreme cold weather.

The city is also reminding residents that there are emergency shelters operating during the extreme cold weather and about its partnerships with social service agencies. For more information about sheltering services, contact the shelters listed below or the Office of Homeless Services at: (973) 877-9481, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The city offers the following tips on keeping homes safe and coping with extreme winter weather:

• Keep the house heated to a minimum of 68°F. The temperatures inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 68°F will not keep the inside walls from freezing.
• Identify the locations for the main water shutoff in your home. Find out how it works in case you have to use it.
• Open hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly. Keeping water moving within the pipes will prevent them from freezing.
• Check on seniors to make sure that they are warm and dry.
• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• Check all windows and doors for drafts. Place plastic if you feel a draft.
• Do not leave space heaters unattended.
• Do not use generators indoors.
• It is illegal to use kerosene heaters indoors.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Take inventory of emergency items.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Newark Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.