The cold weather has been deadly for metro Atlanta homeless

Megan Chen crosses the Jackson Street bridge above a deserted, snow-covered Freedom Parkway below on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, in Atlanta. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Megan Chen crosses the Jackson Street bridge above a deserted, snow-covered Freedom Parkway below on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, in Atlanta. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

Eleven people have died from exposure to the cold in Atlanta since Dec. 1, according to records obtained from the Fulton County Medical Examiner.

Eight of those who died from hypothermia — or abnormally cold body temperature — were homeless, the records show.  Seven of the deaths occurred in December, including two on Dec. 10, and four people have died in January, including the most recent on Jan. 15 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In Cobb County, investigators believe hypothermia may have also contributed to three additional deaths.

The winter season has been an exceptionally cold and snowy one for the Atlanta area, and the city has ongoing plans in place to find shelters for the homeless population, which has decreased in recent years.

-Read more details at MyAJC.com