JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been so hot lately that Jacksonville has opened its cooling centers to give people with no air conditioning a chance to cool down. The Jacksonville area experienced an extreme heat warning from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday.
An extreme heat warning is actually a level above a heat advisory.
The city’s plan includes using JTA buses as cooling centers and also using the buses to take residents to air-conditioned public libraries and community centers to escape the heat.
When the city announced the plan, leaders said it would be activated when heat indexes — what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature — hit a certain level.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Chief Keith Powers said when a heat emergency is issued, or when the heat index is between 108 degrees and 112 degrees for three straight days or over 113 degrees for one day, it will trigger the activation of six cooling centers across the city, which includes locations on the Westside, Northside, downtown and the beaches, among others.
The cooling centers were triggered on Monday with the extreme heat warning and will be opening again Tuesday at noon.
JTA is offering free rides to the centers during the cooling center hours. Just tell the driver on the route that you’re going to the cooling center.
The city said the locations, which are open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., were picked using the social vulnerability index to help protect those most at risk.
“The worst parts of the day for us are in that time period between noon to 6 p.m. So during the worst part of the day, we are providing that shelter for these folks,” said Dr. Sunil Joshi, the city’s Chief Health Officer. “Then as the sun starts to go down, as we get closer to the evening hours as temperatures drop, the excessive heat goes down. Yes, the humidity is out there, but if you’re able to get relief from the sun itself, then the risk of having heat stroke or heat exhaustion goes down significantly.”
Fred Calvin Chilies said having the downtown library as a place to cool down is a lifesaver. He said it’s better there than in an emergency room.
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“It’s very important because under the circumstances that we have now with this heat at 110 degrees, it’s very vital to senior citizens like me, at 67 years old, and just people who are not healthy enough to combat the weather,” Chilies said.
George Hatcher, who works outside in construction said it’s sometimes difficult to stay cool.
“But you got to do what you got to do,” Hatcher said, adding that it’s important to keep electrolytes in you by drinking water or sports drinks.
For city workers, there’s talk of making some changes.
“We’re having some discussions about whether we should limit the hours for city employees out in the sun,” Joshi said.
Playground equipment News4JAX tested at a Springfield park on Monday reached 166 degrees, which could hurt a child playing on the hot playground.
A young boy and his mother at the park said they were staying clear of anything metal or hot while at the playground, and would not be staying long.
The dash on our crew’s car reached 198 degrees, so be careful when you get into your car because parts of the interior could burn.
All of the plans for the city’s heat alerts as well as when the cooling centers will be activated will be posted on JaxReady.com.
The Deegan administration has also created a new task force to address the issue of extreme heat.
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,” Joshi said earlier.
Heat-related illnesses can happen to anyone. Those more at risk are infants and young children, people 65 and older, and people with heart disease or high blood pressure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has these tips for preventing heat-related illness:
- Wear lightweight clothing
- Limit your time outdoors
- Drink plenty of fluids
On days of extreme heat, it’s also important to remember your pets. Animals can also suffer from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, including burns from hot pavement on their paws.