The current icy weather sweeping through the USA, currently dubbed the 'Polar Vortex 2014' could prove fatal for many of America's most vulnerable people.
The Polar Vortex has already been blamed for at least16 deaths and worries are growing for New York's most vulnerable people, namely the homeless population. This ice storm in particular has highlighted the city's large number of homeless people, with the New York Times reporting that a Code Blue has been issued, doubling the number of volunteer workers in the streets, who will help the homeless to find suitable shelters to wait out the Polar Vortex and provide them a safe, warm environment for the duration of the storm. Charity workers are also putting in measures to quicken the check-in process as much as possible for the many shelters in the city.
Homeless people have been warming themselves over steam grates, but the most urgent worry among homeless charitites is that of frostbite and hypothermia, which can set in when temperatures reach as low as -15f. Shelters in Chicago have been given transport passes from the government, which they are handing out to vulnerable people, allowing them to ride buses and trains for free to escape the icy weather. This raises an important question of what measures cities and the government can take to protect society's most vulnerable people during such extreme weather.
The Polar Vortex, which is carrying freezing air from the North Pole, started in North America and is now sweeping into the Midwest, bringing the coldest temperatures in almost 20 years. The sub-zero ice-storm is causing chaos for almost 140 million people as it makes its way across America, with New York bracing itself for sub-zero wind temperatures of up to -60f tomorrow. People across the country are urged to take great care when travelling and not to leave their houses unless it's a necessity.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
