A homeless man who had been living in a tent in Cherokee County has died from exposure to the cold weather. Authorities say the man’s body was found Wednesday afternoon in his tent not far from Interstate 85 in Gaffney.  Coronor Dennis Fowler says the man died from exposure three or four days ago.   An employee at one of the local fast food restaurants he frequented found his body after not seeing him for several days.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has issued some reminders, as temperatures threaten to drop into the teens in the upstate this weekend, and possibly single digits in the mountains.

 EMD Public information officer Derrec Becker says those not used to dealing with the severe cold should keep their exposure to a minimum to avoid frostbite.  Hypothermia, or low body temperature, can be lethal, and it is particularly threatening to infants and the elderly. Becker advises you to dress in layers if you must go outside for extended periods in extreme cold and cover your ears, head and hands. Winds dramatically increase the effects of cold temperatures by increasing the “wind chill factor.” [Read more...]