CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A spokesman with North Carolina's Department of Transportation said 85 employees with salt trucks have been on roads in Iredell and Mecklenburg counties since Wednesday morning working to break up ice on secondary roads and lay down salt before the big freeze comes Thursday.
Also, Eyewitness News talked to leaders in Mecklenburg County who are preparing to protect the public from extreme cold Thursday and Friday.
Mecklenburg County Homeless Service director Peter Safir said leaders will open a Red Cross Emergency Shelter.
Wednesday night and Thursday night. They'll also open a warming center Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Hal Marshall Center.
Charlotte Area Transit System buses will be used to drive people from the Red Cross shelter to the warming center. Safir wants anyone in the county who doesn't have heat to know they have a place to go.
"We realize that there are resources in this town to help you," he said.
The American Red Cross will continue to operate one shelter Wednesday night as a safe refuge for individuals and families who need to escape the frigid temperatures. The shelter opened at 6 p.m. and is located at the Hall House, 426 N. Tryon St., Charlotte.
Over the past two nights, the American Red Cross provided shelter to over 140 people due to the Arctic blast. The shelter offers cots, blankets, meals, personal hygiene items, health services and the support of caring volunteers.