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Published on January 17, 2025
Bucks County Activates Code Blue Alert in Response to Extreme Cold, Opens Shelters in Quakertown, Doylestown, and YardleySource: Bucks County Government

In the face of a bone-chilling forecast, Bucks County officials have triggered a "Code Blue" alert—keeping it in place from Sunday evening all the way through next Friday. This effort is a direct response to the succession of days predicting temperatures to dip below the 20-degree Fahrenheit mark, as reported by the Bucks County Government's official announcement.

To ensure the safety of those most vulnerable to such severe cold snaps, the shelters across Upper, Central, and Lower Bucks are preparing to swiftly open their doors. When night falls on Sunday, the Masonic Lodge in Quakertown, the Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doylestown, and the Woodside Church in Yardley will become havens of warmth and refuge. Despite the priority of safety for residents, it is necessary to also genuinely acknowledge the deeply entrenched societal fissures that lead us to require such measures in times of frosty adversity.

The Masonic Lodge lies at 501 W. Broad Street for those seeking shelter in Upper Bucks, while Central Bucks offers respite at 5194 Cold Spring Creamery Road—an abode otherwise known as Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Lower Bucks sanctuary, Woodside Church, is positioned at 1667 Edgewood Road. It's critical to note that these shelters are opening later in the evening—the Upper and Lower Bucks at 8:30 p.m., while Central Bucks welcomes earlier at 7:30 p.m.

A "Code Blue" is the county's way to proactively mobilize and shield its inhabitants from the blustering onslaught of winter's fury, and they're unflinching in this commitment, possibly triggering such alerts even in slightly milder but still perilous weather scenarios. This is where factors like wind chill and precipitation sharply come into play. Concerned individuals can obtain more pertinent information by reaching out to the County’s Housing Link Helpline at 1-800-810-4434 during Monday to Friday business hours, as communicated officially by James O’Malley.