UPDATE: Volusia, Flagler counties to open shelters as temps drop below 40 overnight Tuesday

Patricio G. Balona, Daytona Beach News-Journal
Updated ·3 min read
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Residents of Volusia and Flagler counties will be met with some of the coldest temperatures of the winter season on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as a cold front moves over the Florida peninsula.

In Volusia, the temperature will drop to around 39 degrees, from around sunrise to midmorning, said Zach Law, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

But northwesterly winds around 10 mph will produce wind chills making it feel like 33 degrees, Law said.

It is expected to be chillier in Flagler where temperatures are forecast to dip into the mid-30s and gusty winds will make it feel even colder, with a wind-chill factor of 27 degrees.

The coldest temperature in Volusia County since winter began was Dec. 31, 2023, when 39 degrees was registered, said NWS forecaster Jessica Smith.

In Volusia County emergency cold weather shelters will open Tuesday evening and those without adequate heating sources at their residence or who are homeless are encouraged to seek shelter, said Volusia County spokesman Clayton Jackson.

For those needing shelter on the west side of Volusia County, The Neighborhood Center's The Bridge, located at 421 S. Palmetto Ave., DeLand, will offer a warm place to spend the evening, Jackson said. Guests are encouraged to arrive between the hours of 6 to 8 p.m.

For additional details or support, individuals needing shelter can call 386-734-8120 Ext. 601.

Halifax Urban Ministries partnering with churches is offering shelter to residents on the east side of the county, Jackson said. To arrange for sheltering, residents and the needy can call Halifax Urban Ministries/HUM at 386-317-5886.

Spring breakers brace for the cold beach weather on Tuesday, March 14th,2023.
Spring breakers brace for the cold beach weather on Tuesday, March 14th,2023.

The low temperatures have prompted Flagler County to open its cold-weather shelter, the Sheltering Tree on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Rock Transformation Center (formerly Church on the Rock). The shelter will be open for the homeless as well as anyone without heat, according to a press release from county spokeswoman Julie Murphy.

The Rock Transformation Center is located at 2200 N. State St. The cold-weather shelter will open at 5 p.m. and will close at 8 a.m. the following day. The criteria for opening the cold-weather shelter is based on overnight temperatures that drop below 40 degrees.

“We urge those who lack adequate housing or adequate heat for their residences to come to the cold-weather shelter,” said Health and Human Services Director Joseph Hegedus in the release. “The Sheltering Tree and the Rock Transformation Center will provide cots and meals. We ― Flagler County ― will be providing transportation to the shelter for those who need it.”

In Flagler, the county will provide bus transportation along two routes:

East side of Flagler County

  • Dollar General at Publix Town Center on Market Avenue (leads to Dollar General), 3:30 p.m.

  • McDonald’s at Old Kings Road South and State Road 100 at the dirt road on the east side, 4 p.m.

  • Dollar Tree behind Carrabba’s in the Dollar Tree Parking lot, 4:30 p.m.

  • Palm Coast Main Branch Library, northwest corner of Palm Coast Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway, 4:45 p.m.

West side of Flagler County

  • Dollar General at County Road 305 and Canal Avenue in Daytona North, 4 p.m.

  • Bunnell Free Clinic, 703 Moody Blvd., 4:30 p.m.

  • First United Methodist Church in Bunnell, 205 N. Pine St., 4:30 p.m. (listed as the same pick-up time because of the close proximity)

Flagler County Emergency Management and Fire Rescue offered these safety tips:

  • Never use the oven to heat the home

  • All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning

  • Screen fireplaces to contain sparks

  • Portable space heaters should be kept 3-feet away from anything that can burn

  • Turn off portable heaters when leaving the room or going to bed

  • Subscribe to Alert Flagler www.FlaglerCounty.gov/AlertFlagler

Frank Fernandez and Eileen Zaffiro Kean contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia cold weather shelters may open if temperatures drop enough