JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With temperatures rising to potentially dangerous levels this week, people in the 904 are feeling the sweltering heat.
Federal officials visited Jacksonville on Monday morning and toured one of the city’s cooling centers at the Main Library downtown.
The Assistant Secretary of Health for the U.S. and Human Services and the Deputy U.S. Surgeon General toured the cooling center on North Laura Street with Mayor Donna Deegan and local health officials.
According to the director of the library, that location can serve hundreds of people. And if needed, library staff can open up additional floors.
Following the tour, the city shared some details on this year’s extreme heat plan and the Department of Health’s new tool called the Heat and Health Index (HHI). This tool is designed to help communities prepare for extreme heat and prevent heat-related illness, especially among those most at risk.
According to the city, the HHI is the first nationwide tool to provide heat-health outcome information at the ZIP code level.
The existing EMS HeatTracker and the CDC Heat and Health Tracker help identify heat-related illnesses occurring locally and the 32209 ZIP code of Northwest Jacksonville is one of those neighborhoods most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
Mauricio Dixon has lived in the area a few years and isn’t surprised to hear he and his neighbors are more vulnerable to heat problems.
“You go to the park, there’s no shade over there. You’ve got to find what you can find,” Dixon said.
Mayor Deegan said one key focus is making sure the infrastructure is up to speed, to help keep these neighbors safe from the heat in the long run.
“Something as simple as a tree canopy. That is a very big deal in terms of creating a situation where the heat can be 10 degrees or 12 degrees higher than it is in a place with a tree canopy,” Deegan said. “There’s all sorts of small things we can do. Retro-fitting buildings, making sure people have the roof campaign that we have going on.”
William Laster also lives in Northwest Jacksonville. Typically, he stays indoors but had to leave for a doctor’s appointment. His hope is for some relief.
“If they could do something about it, I’ll be glad. I’ll be happy if they can do something to keep the heat off of us,” he said.
The HHI will complement these tools by allowing people to plan for the impacts of heat and safeguard communities before extreme heat events occur, the city said.
Officials also took the time to let the community know that when a heat advisory is issued for Duval County, all of the cooling centers will be open for people in need.
Those cooling centers include 21 libraries, 42 community centers, 29 pools and 16 splash pads.