With the extreme heat, the city of Jackson has opened cooling centers and introduced a new Heat and Health Index
People in the 904 are feeling the intense heat as temperatures this week rise to potentially deadly heights.
On Monday morning, federal representatives visited Jacksonville and toured the Main Library downtown, which houses one of the city’s cooling centers.
Along with Mayor Donna Deegan and local health officials, the Deputy U.S. Surgeon General and the Assistant Secretary of Health for the U.S. and Human Services toured the cooling facility on North Laura Street.
The library’s director claims the site can accommodate hundreds of patrons. Further floors can be opened by library staff upon request.
The city provided information on this year’s extreme heat plan and the Department of Health’s new tool, the Heat and Health Index (HHI), after the tour.
This tool is intended to assist communities in mitigating the effects of high heat and preventing heat-related illnesses, particularly in the most vulnerable.
The city claims that the HHI is the first instrument in the country to offer ZIP code-level data on heat-related health outcomes.
Northwest Jacksonville’s 32209 ZIP code is one of the neighborhoods most susceptible to heat-related illnesses. The EMS HeatTracker and the CDC Heat and Health Tracker are now in use and can be used to discover heat-related illnesses occurring locally.
After a few years of living in the neighborhood, Mauricio Dixon is not shocked to learn that he and his neighbors are more susceptible to heat-related issues.
“You go to the park, and that area is completely shadeless. Dixon remarked, “You have to take what you can find.”
According to Mayor Deegan, maintaining modern infrastructure is essential to ensuring these neighbors’ long-term safety from the heat.
Something as basic as a tree’s canopy can cause temperatures to rise by 10 or 12 degrees above those in areas shaded by trees, which is a major concern, according to Deegan. We can take care of a lot of little things, such as retrofitting structures and ensuring that people are aware of our ongoing roof campaign.”
Another resident of Northwest Jacksonville is William Laster. He usually remains inside, but he has to go for a medical appointment. It is a relief he hopes to find.
It would make me happy if they could take action. If they can take any action to deflect the heat away from us, I’ll be pleased,” he remarked.
According to the city, the HHI will enhance these resources by enabling people to prepare for the effects of heat and protect communities before extreme heat events happen.
Additionally, officials took the opportunity to inform the public that all cooling facilities will remain available for anyone in need in the event that Duval County issues a heat advisory.
Among these cooling spots are sixteen splash pads, twenty-one libraries, forty-two community centers, and 29 pools.