While the United States has mostly escaped winter, the opposite has been true in Eastern Europe. The AP reports that an intense freeze has killed at least 36 people throughout eastern Europe. In some places, temperatures dropped to negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The AP adds:
"Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry said 18 people died of hypothermia and nearly 500 people sought medical help for frostbites and hypothermia in just three days last week. Twelve of the dead were homeless people whose bodies were discovered on the streets.
"Temperatures in parts of Ukraine plunged to minus 16 C (3 F) during the day and minus 23 C (minus 10 F) during the night. Authorities opened 1,500 shelters to provide food and heat and shut down schools and nurseries.
"At least 10 people froze to death in Poland as the cold reached minus 26 C (minus 15 F) on Monday."
The Daily Mail reports that in Serbia and Romania at least six people are dead. Just how bad is the situation? In Bulgaria, a state of emergency was declared in 25 of the the country's 28 districts.
The BBC adds that it's not over: Some of the coldest weather will arrive later this week. Temperatures in Bulgaria could plunge to negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
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