BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — Warming centers across East Tennessee welcomed people Monday night, as temperatures continued dropping.
On Monday, a winter storm swept through the area and battered the region with several inches of snow. Road conditions quickly became hazardous while communities scrambled to make sure people who may otherwise have to sleep on the street had a safe place to go.
"This system, with the cold air coming in from the plateau, when it hits the roads that are covered in water in good portions of the county — it's going to be pretty slick and treacherous," said Lance Cunningham, the Blount County Emergency Management Agency director.
He worked to make sure people in Blount County stayed safe during the winter storm.
Nearby in Sevier County, community leaders helped open a warming center where dozens of people stayed overnight Monday and into Tuesday. Another warming center in Blount County, operating in the First Baptist Church of Maryville, welcomed people as well.
"It isn't just the homeless that come here. We have people who live in houses where the heat isn't quite adequate enough to keep them warm. We have people who come here just looking for fellowship and communication, lonely people who want to join in and help," said Michael Davenport, a volunteer at a Blount County warming center.
Other warming centers were opened in Knoxville. Those warming centers are listed below.
- Cokesbury Church: 9919 Kingston Pike (open from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m.)
- Vestal United Methodist Church: 115 Ogle Avenue (open from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m.)
- Magnolia Avenue United Methodist Church: 2700 E. Magnolia Avenue (open from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m.)
Doors for all three of those warming centers closed at 8 p.m., and pets were allowed at them.
"I want to stress to the people and our community that these temperatures are extremely severe. It's extremely important that they pay attention whether they're going to the grocery store, going to fill up on gas, or just traveling down the road — if you see someone who is unhoused, who is walking down the street with a backpack or a shopping cart, please stop and direct them to the warming center," said Lieutenant Rashad Poole with the Salvation Army in Sevier County and Cocke County.