Published on August 14, 2023 at 1:25 pm
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Jacksonville’s Cooling Centers could open again Tuesday with the possibility that an extreme heat warning stretches into its ninth day, city officials said.
Based on the forecast, city officials said the cooling centers would offer refuge from heat indexes that make it feel like 113-plus degrees. Cooling centers open from noon to 6 p.m. because that is the hottest part of the day, the city said.
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Since the centers opened Aug. 7, 404 people had used them through Sunday, with 535 bottles of water distributed, the city said.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department has responded to 73 calls for heat-related incidents from Aug. 7 through Sunday. Forty-four of those people were transported to hospitals for treatment.
An extreme heat warning was in effect Monday with a forecast high of 98 degrees and a heat index up to 115. The temperature Tuesday is predicted at 96 degrees with a 110 heat index.
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If residents need a place to cool off, they can go to:
- The Beaches Branch Library, 600 3rd St.
- Highlands Regional Library on 1826 Dunn Ave.
- University Park Library, 3435 University Blvd. N.
- Main Library, 303 N. Laura St.
- Webb Wesconnett Regional Library, 6887 103rd St.
- Legends Center, 5130 Soutel Drive.
The JTA also offers free bus fares on the routes to cooling centers starting just before noon each day, 630 people taking advantage of those, the city states. Those include:
- Route 10B to the beaches library.
- Routes 3 and 18 to Highlands Regional.
- Routes 19 and 50A to the University park site.
- Routes 1 and 3 as well as the Skyway to the Main library Downtown.
- Routes 13, 16, 30 and 53 to the Webb Wesconnett center.
- Routes 3, 4 and 22 to the Legends Center.
Reporter Steven Ponson of WJCT News 89.9 contributed to this report.
