By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The onset of intense cold is putting a greater strain on some of the region's homeless shelters.
The bitter cold is drawing more people into shelters. Captain Tim Best with the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center says an overflow area the facility opens each winter is just over half full.
Best says while they have enough blankets and mats extra food is sometimes an issue.
"It does tax us a little bit," Best said. "Because it's Christmas and people are more generous at this time of year, we tend to do alright. But if it continues in a long stretch where there's several cold nights, I would anticipate that we'll reach capacity."
Best says the shelter is calling in daily headcounts so that St. Louis city officials can make contingency plans for a large influx of people.