Ascension hospital emergency rooms in southeastern Wisconsin are seeing a spike in the number of weather-related injuries Tuesday than what they typically see during a winter day.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, 42 patients were treated. By 4 p.m., that number grew to 61 patients.
"That's almost triple the number we would normally have treated by this time on a typical winter day," an Ascension spokesperson told TMJ4 News.
Some injuries were sustained from falls, while others were serious enough to require surgery, according to Ascension. Some patients were also treated for injuries from motor vehicle accidents.
A Weather Emergency Declaration has been issued for the City of Milwaukee for Tuesday.
The declaration, issued by Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson, "emphasizes the dangers associated with travel, and allows for the closure of various city government offices."
Additionally, Department of Public Works (DPW) crews report that they are "facing difficulty" maintaining safe travel, particularly on sidewalks. Some crews have been redeployed to ice control, which will impact some garbage and recycling collections, according to the City.
The declaration is expected to be lifted by Wednesday morning.
