The Oneida and Vilas Public Health and Emergency Management Departments have released a list of facilities open 24 hours that people could go to if they need to warm up in the extreme cold.
In Oneida county, Trig's Riverwalk Centre and Wal-Mart...both in Rhinelander... are facilities that are open 24 hours. In Minocqua, Trig's and WalMart along Highway 70 are open 24 hours, as is Howard Young Medical Center in Woodruff..
In Vilas county...Trig's in Eagle River and Eagle River Memorial Hospital are open 24 hours. In Lac du Flambeau, the tribe will be offering Lake of the Torches Casino as a warming shelter from 9:00 to 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The tribe's Natural Resources building will be a warming shelter from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Oneida County Health Department Assistant Director Carl Meyer says in these extreme temperatures, problems come quickly...
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"....frostbite can occur on the skin in less than 10 minutes. It's a serious warning and we want to make sure we are prepared for that...."
He outlines some symptoms...
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"....symptoms include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in the fingers, the toes, the ear tips or the tip of the nose. You just want to limit your time outside with these extreme temperatures....
The next level of problems...hypothermia....shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness in adults and children. In infants, symptoms can include bright red or cold skin and very low energy.
