Cold Weather & Homelessness
Warning: In case of emergency call 911
Click Here To Find A Warming Centre
Canada's climate is changing. Unlike its name would suggest, global warming (particularly rapid arctic warming) is contributing to an increase in extreme cold events in Canada.
For most, an increase in extreme cold weather events means very little. For some, it could be life or death.
Health Impacts of Extreme Cold
Cold weather can be harmful to anyone's health. Extreme cold injuries are particularly prevalent among those who work outdoors, have pre-existing heart conditions or respiratory illnesses, the elderly and infants, as well as the unhoused population. Most commonly, extreme winter conditions result in the following cold weather injuries…
Frostnip and Frostbite
Frostbite is an injury caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. In the earliest stage of frostbite, known as frostnip, there is no permanent damage to skin. 1
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red and cold skin; skin may start to turn white, but is still soft
prickling and numbness
tingling and stinging
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If you suspect frostnip, get out of the cold, wind, rain or snow and…
remove tight jewelry or clothing.
place cold fingers in your armpits, or warm a cold nose or cheek with the palm of your warm hand.
do not rub or massage the area
Frostbite can permanently damage body tissues and severe cases can lead to amputation.
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skin appearing white or grayish-yellow and feeling cold to the touch
skin feeling unusually firm or waxy
pins and needles, followed by numbness
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FROSTBITE REQUIRES MEDICAL ATTENTION. While waiting for medical help…
Find warm shelter and remove wet clothes.
If you can get out of the cold until medical attention is available, you can begin to warm the affected area. If warm shelter is not available and there is a possibility that skin will refreeze, do not try to warm frostbitten skin. You can rewarm by:
immersing the affected area in warm but not hot water (the temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body), or
warming the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers
THINGS NOT TO DO!
Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it. This can cause more damage.
Do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes, if possible.
Do not use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Since frostbite makes an area numb, you could burn it.
A person with frostbite may also have hypothermia. Get immediate emergency medical help if you suspect hypothermia.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature drops below 35°C. At first, hypothermia causes shivering, confusion, and stumbling. With longer exposure, hypothermia can have severe consequences including organ failure and death. 2
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loss of muscular control (e.g., difficulty in walking)
memory loss, slurred speech
difficulty speaking and drowsiness
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Hypothermia is a serious medical condition. SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION if you suspect that someone has hypothermia.
While waiting for medical help:
Find a warm room or shelter.
Keep muscles moving.
Remove wet clothing. Replace wet things with warm, dry clothes
Wrap the individual in blankets/dry clothing or reheat the body through skin-to-skin contact with another person.
Drink warm, sweet liquids.
Don’t fight shivering, this is one of the ways your body increases its core temperature.
If a person is unconscious lay them down and avoid shaking them or handling them roughly.
Why Are Those Experiencing Homelessness Particularly Vulnerable To Extreme Cold?
People who are unsheltered or unhoused face severe risks during extreme weather due to their prolonged exposure to cold, particularly when in damp and wet clothing. There are also a wide range of economic, social and behavioural factors that contribute to this increased risk. For example, someone experiencing homelessness may not have access to weather-appropriate outerwear, food, or first aid supplies. Being improperly dressed, malnourished, or dealing with an untreated injury or infection reduces the body’s capacity to tolerate cold exposure.
#DidYouKnow nearly 4.5% of deaths in Canada between 1985 and 2012 were due to the cold? 3
As we know, those experiencing homelessness are at greater risk of injury or illness 4 (outside of cold weather injuries), including contracting COVID-19. 5 With that said, it is important to note that cold weather can also worsen existing conditions, such as cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses. Vulnerable populations, like those experiencing homelessness, are also at higher risk of developing trenchfoot, also known as immersion foot.
Winter Weather Safety Tips
Cold weather injuries can be contracted when you least expect them. In fact, 90% of the deaths attributed to cold exposure, occur on only mildly cold days. What we know as “extreme temperatures,” actually account for less than 1% of the deaths related to cold weather. 6
It’s important to discuss weather-related issues and explore the factors that worsen cold weather injuries common among the homeless population, such as frostbite and hypothermia.
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If possible, wear waterproof and windproof outer layers, a hat and warm mittens.
Wool, silk or polypropylene are best for inner layers; these materials hold more body heat than cotton.
Change into dry clothing as soon as possible if you get wet from precipitation, sweat or submersion in water.
Wear several layers of warm, lightweight clothing when doing strenuous activities outdoors (walking, biking, shovelling snow, etc.) and follow medical advice if you have a history of back or heart problems.
When possible, research weather forecasts and limit time outdoors if severe weather is expected.
Notify friends or family of your location when spending prolonged time outdoors.
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When spending prolonged periods of time outdoors, avoid consuming alcohol. Drinking alcohol increases blood flow in the vessels close to your skin, making you feel warm even though you are losing body heat.
Avoid travelling in low visibility and on ice covered roads.
Take care when walking on ice, many cold-weather injuries result from slips and falls on ice-covered surfaces.
Try to ensure that indoor temperature is a minimum of 21° C. Many major cities in Canada have bylaws that require landlords to provide heat and maintain a minimum temperature of 21° C in winter months.
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CALL 911
If you are looking for information on warming centres, clothing distribution, or other non-urgent help, call 211.
Cold Weather Response Plans
Cold weather response plans are extremely important, now more than ever. Proper safety response actions can vary based on the time of year, and depend largely on the local climate and emergency response services available. Though smaller towns and communities may not have these services in place, most large cities in Canada have some version of the following…
a Cold weather alert system
Extreme weather response shelters or warming centres
Extending outreach services for those who are unsheltered
Public awareness and education campaigns
#DidYouKnow cold is more dangerous than heat? Research has found that cold temperatures kill about 20 times as many people worldwide compare to hot temperatures.
The Canadian findings showed nearly 4.5% of deaths in this country over the study period (between 1985 and 2012) were due to cold, compared to only 0.5% from heat. 7
In Waterloo Region…
An Extreme Cold Warning is issued when the temperature or wind chill is expected to reach minus 30° C for at least two hours. For more information or to find a warming centre, click here.
Receive Weather Alerts:
Sign up for email alerts from EC Alert Me
Download the mobile WeatherCAN app
View current public weather alerts
Watch public weather broadcasts/news stations
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Information related to the signs, symptoms, and responses to frostnip, frostbite, and hypothermia were taken from Toronto.com (Health Impacts of Extreme Cold Weather)
Information regarding responses and resources within Waterloo Region taken from RegionofWaterloo.ca
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City of Toronto. (2020, December 15). Health impacts of extreme cold weather.
City of Toronto. (2020, December 15). Health impacts of extreme cold weather.
Gasparrini, A., Guo, Y., Hashizume, M., Lavigne, E., Zanobetti, A., Schwartz, J., Tobias, A., Tong, S., Rocklöv, J., Forsberg, B., Leone, M., De Sario, M., Bell, M. L., Guo, Y.-L. L., Wu, C.-fu, Kan, H., Yi, S.-M., de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, M., Saldiva, P. H., … Armstrong, B. (2015)
Salhi BA, White MH, Pitts SR, Wright DW. Homelessness and emergency medicine: a review of the literature. Acad Emerg Med. (2017)
Richard, Lucie et al. “Testing, infection and complication rates of COVID-19 among people with a recent history of homelessness in Ontario, Canada: a retrospective cohort study.” (2021)
Gasparrini, A., Guo, Y., Hashizume, M., Lavigne, E., Zanobetti, A., Schwartz, J., Tobias, A., Tong, S., Rocklöv, J., Forsberg, B., Leone, M., De Sario, M., Bell, M. L., Guo, Y.-L. L., Wu, C.-fu, Kan, H., Yi, S.-M., de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, M., Saldiva, P. H., … Armstrong, B. (2015)
Gasparrini, A., Guo, Y., Hashizume, M., Lavigne, E., Zanobetti, A., Schwartz, J., Tobias, A., Tong, S., Rocklöv, J., Forsberg, B., Leone, M., De Sario, M., Bell, M. L., Guo, Y.-L. L., Wu, C.-fu, Kan, H., Yi, S.-M., de Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, M., Saldiva, P. H., … Armstrong, B. (2015)