As temperatures rise, metro Atlanta cooling stations open to provide relief to residents

Fall may be just weeks away, but summer temperatures are holding on across Georgia.

With temperatures pushing well into the 90s, municipal cooling stations are opening across metro Atlanta to provide some relief from the heat.

At the Selena S. Butler Park Recreation Center in Atlanta, doors opened at 11 a.m., offering air conditioning, indoor seating, and complimentary bottled water. Staff at the center say the facility provides a critical respite for those without access to reliable cooling.

"The last week it's been a lot more traffic coming," said Delwyn Brown of the Butler Park Recreation Center. "It's so cool right now. Some of them don't even want to leave, but they're just very, very thankful to even be coming in and have a place to come sit, you can use the bathroom, or do anything that you really need just to kind of get out of the heat for a little while."

In neighborhoods like Sweet Auburn and the Old Fourth Ward, residents say finding shade and staying indoors are their primary strategies to cope with the high temperatures.

"Shade, I'm finding parks, wherever, to keep me and my baby cool," said resident Meaghan Green.

For others, stepping outside is kept to a strict minimum.

"I stay in the house," said Miya Arnold, who stepped out only briefly to pick up her child. "It's too hot out here, so I'm planning on getting my baby off the school bus and going back in the house. Ninety-five degrees, that's hot. She appreciates the cooling centers that are open. "Because a lot of people don't have a place to stay at that's a blessing that they're helping out the community."

Cooling resources are also available outside Fulton County. In Gwinnett County, residents can briefly escape the elements at an extensive network of county community centers during normal operating hours.

With temperatures forecast to remain elevated over the next few days, public health and safety officials recommend several key precautions:

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even before feeling thirsty.
• Limit strenuous outdoor activity during peak afternoon heating hours.
• Seek shade or air-conditioned public spaces whenever possible.
• Never leave people, pets, or heat-sensitive medications inside a hot vehicle, where interior temperatures can turn fatal in minutes.