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Chicagoans braving the bitterly cold weather, city opens emergency warming centers

Chicago opening more warming shelters
Chicago opening more warming shelters 01:37

CHICAGO (CBS) --With the dangerous cold the city of chicago is working to keep people safe.

CBS 2's Mugo Odigwe joins us with warming shelter updates, ensuring people who need it have shelter from the cold.

The city has now activated its emergency operation plan for extreme cold and it will last through Wednesday.

That means it's opening seven warming centers. Two of them will stay open 24/7 including the location in Garfield Park.

The Harold Washington Library will also open its lower level to serve as a 24-7 warming center for anyone in need.

Migrants waiting for shelter at the landing zone will be transported to this site.

CBS 2 caught up with some Tesla owners at a charging station. Several charging stalls weren't working likely because of the cold.

The few that were working had trouble keeping up with the number of cars that needed charging.

"I've been here for over five hours at this point and I still have not gotten to charge my car. And our batteries are so cold it's taking longer to charge now. So a charge that should take 45 minutes is now taking two hours for the one charger we have," said driver Brandon Welbourne. 

Just a reminder make sure you check on your relatives and neighbors during this time, especially the elderly.

The city says you can call 311 to report a well-being check.

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