ATLANTA - Volunteers at the Gateway Center downtown are operating on emergency mode. It's crucial they get the homeless indoors.

One reason they are racing the dropping temperature is because often the homeless population doesn't see a weather forecast, and they often don't know how low and dangerous the temperature will get.

"On nights like these it's a dire situation because homeless people are dying from the cold," explained Rachel Solid of Atlanta Union Mission.

Inside shelters across Atlanta space is filling. An estimated 8,000 are homeless across Atlanta.

"I couldn't feel my fingers. My toes, it felt like I was walking on nothing," explained "Yossi."

He lives on the streets, but found a warm place to sleep at Gateway Center, which is operating around the clock until the temperature rises above freezing.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. -- The Fulton County Department of Aging and Youth Services’ senior facilities will serve as warming sites during operating hours to provide seniors and other citizens another alternative for keeping warm during extreme winter weather.

Fulton County has four senior multipurpose facilities that will be open from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Jan. 8 and 9.

(WXIA) -- Drivers in the Atlanta area: Just make it through this weekend, and then you'll get a much-needed break.

The Georgia Department of Transportation said it will suspend all construction-related lane closures from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2.

Until then, many of the usual areas will see crews hard at work through next Monday morning.

As always, all work is weather permitting. A complete list of closures and possible delays can be found at 511ga.org.

Cobb/Fulton counties
* Two eastbound lanes of I-20 will be closed for about one mile past Six Flags Parkway from 9 p.m. Friday to 9 p.m. Saturday for bridge joint and header replacement.

Coweta County
* One northbound lane of I-85 will be closed between two miles south of Highway 14 and McCollum-Sharpsburg Road from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for barrier wall setting.