News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
91.7FM Alpena and WCML-TV Channel 6 Alpena are off the air. Click here to learn more.

Extreme cold turns deadly in Detroit

Flickr User Stephane Mignon
/
https://flic.kr/p/7p87fv

The arctic air battering the Northern Plains and Midwest is turning deadly.

 

The bitter cold is being blamed for several deaths in the Detroit area.

 

Police say at least two men have been found frozen to death -- a 70-year-old discovered near his home in Detroit, and a former City Council member from the neighboring suburb of Ecorse.

 

They say neither man was dressed appropriately for the arctic conditions.

 

National Weather Service meteorologist Trent Frey says with wind chills plunging far below zero Fahrenheit, anyone outside without a hat or gloves is at risk.

 

“Frostbite becomes a major concern for any exposed skin, on the matter of about 15 minutes or so. You know any prolonged exposure can be deadly in this case.”

 

Detroit has opened numerous warming centers at shelters and churches, and the Governor of Michigan has declared a state of emergency.