Today's bitter cold conditions, made even worse by gusty winds, have prompted a number of New Jersey towns and counties to declare a Code Blue.

Cold Weather
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With the warning in place, those without shelter are offered a place to eat, sleep and stay warm.

In Atlantic City, a Code Blue started at 4 p.m. Monday and extends to 8 a.m. Wednesday. The Atlantic City Rescue Mission has been told to expect an influx of individuals, and the police department is available to transfer people from the streets to the shelter.

"You can't really force anyone to go, but usually with this kind of weather, it's very well known that if you do not have shelter, you could perish," said Allyn Seel, deputy emergency management coordinator of the city's Office of Emergency Management. "This is very, very deadly to anyone without shelter."

Thanks to the Code Blue initiative, Seel said he can't remember the last time a fatality was caused by the extreme cold.

A similar scenario is under way in New Brunswick, where a soup kitchen and two warming stations have been made available.

Some Code Blue advisories are issued countywide and individual municipalities are expected to follow protocol.

"Each municipality has identified its own location to accommodate those in their community seeking shelter from the severe weather," the Camden County Health Department said in a press release.

Camden County's Code Blue ends at 6 a.m. tomorrow.

 

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