Cooling centers across Jacksonville to help people get relief in the heat

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We can feel the heat here in the River City and the efforts to help keep folks safe are ongoing.

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Monday, the City of Jacksonville held a tour of one of its cooling centers and went over its 2024 extreme heat plan.

Cooling centers across Jacksonville are all open every Monday through Saturday.

This includes the city’s nearly 21 public libraries, 42 community centers, 29 pools, and 16 splash pads.

“When you look at what we opened up this year, it’s throughout the whole city, so it’s not just one area,” said Andre Ayoub, the city’s chief of emergency preparedness.

The cooling center at the Jacksonville Main Library downtown can serve hundreds of people.

If there is a heat advisory or an excessive heat warning in Jacksonville, city leaders said there will be two main cooling centers that will open up on Sundays and holidays.

“The big thing this year is having a robust communication plan to get that out to every segment of the community,” said Ayoub.

According to the CDC about 1,220 people in the U.S. are killed by extreme heat every year.

City leaders are also taking steps to help prevent heat-related illnesses.

A new nationwide tool, called the heat and health index is designed to provide heat-health information at the zip code level.

It’s aimed at giving a complete look at communities that are most at risk of negative health impacts from heat.

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