The warming station opened by the City of Alexandria on Thursday afternoon will close on Saturday, according to a news release.
The station was opened as a prolonged cold spell, with overnight temperatures in the 20s, hit the Central Louisiana area. The cold was responsible for one death in Alexandria, a 65-year-old man whose death was confirmed by the Rapides Parish coroner to be due to hypothermia.
In announcing the death, the Louisiana Department of Health did not identify the man other than stating he was 65 years old. But a friend of his, Ann Lowrey, talked about him in a Wednesday night Facebook post.
Lowry is the chief executive officer of CLASS, a nonprofit that primarily serves those with HIV and other illnesses.
She said that, although it was too late to help her friend, “I am grateful that the City of Alexandria took action to do something,” she said on Friday afternoon.
She said it was her hope that nonprofits that the government charges to help would establish both warming and cooling stations for unhoused people during extreme weather.
“Because CLASS and I believe that all humans should have access to shelter during these conditions, I am committed to helping in any way that I can,” said Lowry.
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When asked Thursday if the warming station was opened because of the death, a city spokesman responded by saying the decision was made after an “extensive” review of National Weather Service reports even though conditions didn’t meet the city’s “temperature trigger” for such assistance.
“City officials have carefully monitored weather conditions and determined that the likelihood of severe cold necessitating a warming station has significantly decreased,” reads the Friday release. “The decision to close the warming station is based on current predictions that indicate milder temperatures ahead, contributing to the overall safety of citizens.”
The Rapides Parish Coroner’s Office would not confirm the identity of the man on Friday afternoon, saying that the legal next of kin had not been notified.
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Alexandria to close warming shelter as temperatures start to rise
