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Emergency officials urge Mainers to prepare for extreme cold weather

Paul Conley stacks firewood for sale at a small lumber mill, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, in Wilton, Maine. Bitterly cold weather is expected throughout much of the country later this week.
Robert F. Bukaty
/
AP
Paul Conley stacks firewood for sale at a small lumber mill, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, in Wilton, Maine. Bitterly cold weather is expected throughout much of the country later this week.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency is urging Mainers to prepare for the extreme cold weather that will sweep into the state Friday. MEMA's Vanessa Corson says wind chills will plunge temperatures into the negative 30s and 40s.

"The cold temperatures that we're expecting on Friday and Saturday only happen about once in a decade and we haven't seen this kind of weather since about 2016," says Corson. "So we're urging Mainers, this is the time that you want to be indoors."

Corson says pets should only be let outside briefly and livestock owners should check to make sure water doesn't freeze.

Officials are also urging to check on neighbors, friends, and family. If local warming and charging centers open, they'll be listed on MEMA's website or can be found by calling 211.