Homeless try to escape the chilly night

TAMPA - The only thing colder than the temperature is the tough reality of having nowhere to go.

"I'm looking for a lot of shelter to keep me from the cold, whipping wind," said Tenika Smith.

Smith is a mother a four who is looking for a place to stay to warm. "I have no place to sleep tonight. I have no guaranteed shelter provided for me," Smith said.

And Tenika is just one of many. Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa is expecting a heavy rush of families to seek shelter from this week's arctic blast.

Early Monday morning, the shelter ran out of the major essentials, according to shelter president Tim Marks.

"Those that were out in the streets were looking for help, and we couldn't really fill the needs. We ran out of blankets, we ran out of coats throughout the day. People have come by with donations, but we need a lot more," Marks said.

Metropolitan Ministries usually feeds about 1700 people a night. Expecting more families to show up during the cold snap, some food will be sent to a Brandon community shelter as well.

And 30 miles east in Plant City, the chill is just as bitter, and its impact just as serious.

Even though it is going to be uncomfortably cold, the sprinklers will be on to protect the strawberry crops.

"This snap is not going to be a problem long term," says farmer Carl Grooms with Fancy Farms. "If we continue to pump two to three hours each morning, that's not anything compared to last year," Grooms said.

Last year, the freeze seemed to go on forever. It dragged on for 11 bitterly cold days. The pumping caused the ground water level to drop, and sinkholes opened up.

The situation left some people without water for weeks.

So as Tampa Bay bundles up for the next few days, remember those who don't have the option,

"If you want to provide a coat for a child that resides here or on the streets, we will make sure it gets to the right people," Marks said.