JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – July is already the warmest month on record and the excessive heat has Mayor Donna Deegan’s administration worried about what is to come.
That’s why a new heat task force has been formed to address the issue.
Chante Carter and her family were walking downtown on a relatively mild Thursday ahead of the expected heatwave next week.
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“I think Jacksonville needs more pools, more community centers. More things to bring people out like a little splash park or something for the kids on these hot days,” Carter said.
The mayor’s office has been listening. and formed a new committee that is looking at how to deal with the excessive heat.
“Excessive heat warnings are a public health threat. So we are working on a plan to provide people around Jacksonville some relief. Stay tuned on that. But a lot of folks are looking at this issue. And we are putting together a response plan. It’s hot. It’s not good for our health and we want to be responsive,” said spokeswoman Melissa Ross.
Right now, just 18 of 34 city pools are open and once school starts they will only be open on weekends until Labor Day.
The task force is also talking with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to possibly get people to cooling centers once they open or even use the buses as cooling stations as well.
Shade is also important and that is why the mayor says she budgeted over $1.5 million for tree maintenance. She said it would not only make neighborhoods look better but help reduce temperatures and add other benefits.
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The concern is not only what’s happening now with the heat but what could be coming down the line.
“We have to be thinking about summers in the future, too. Just like we have a hurricane preparedness plan every year, we’re going to now need to have an excessive heat plan as well so we are all prepared,” said Jacksonville’s Chief Health Officer Dr. Sunil Joshi.
The heat task force has met twice so far and will produce recommendations soon.