DES MOINES, Iowa — From airports to emergency rooms, upcoming weather has a lot of us on edge. But many local organizations have been hard at work for months to be ready for this exact situation.
Plenty of Iowans have probably been weighing whether or not to change their holiday travel plans. If you've been planning to fly, officials with Des Moines International Airport say that they're equipped to keep runways operational for travelers looking to escape somewhere a bit sunnier for the holidays.
However, decisions about flights are made by the airlines themselves. If you're worried about a flight being delayed, downloading the airline's app will keep you up to date on what to expect, and that will also let you rebook your flight, if necessary.
Meanwhile, Iowa emergency rooms have already been struggling with a surge because of a spike in respiratory illnesses like RSV. Officials with UnityPoint said they've been stocking up on warm fluids and warming equipment to prepare to help people coming in out of the cold.
They're expecting to be able to keep up with patients suddenly coming in due to cold exposure, but their big piece of advice is to stay indoors as much as possible. It doesn't take long for frostbite to set in. If you lose feeling in fingers or toes, it's time to call 911.
But there are those in the metro who are sometimes still left out in the cold.
Central Iowa Shelter and Services says that they're expecting to have about 250 people in shelters by the end of the week. According to CISS, they've been increasing street outreach efforts since October, making sure homeless community members know where to head when the storm hits.
If you know of anyone who still doesn't have a place to stay for the storm, you can contact CISS's street outreach team at 515-284-5719.