With temperatures topping 90 degrees, the City of Lexington has extended phase 1 of its heat plan through Thursday. Eight cooling stations operated by city partners will be open during the day. Emily Fay is the public information officer for the city’s Division of Emergency Management. She said these blistering temperatures can be much more than an inconvenience.
“Heat is very dangerous. Your body eventually gets so hot that it can't regulate your temperature anymore, and that's when you start seeing people who are experiencing heat cramps and heat exhaustion and, of course, a very dangerous heat stroke,” Fay said.
One of the cooling centers is Lighthouse Ministries, on Spruce Street. Executive Director Tay Ingle said their services extend into the weekend.
“We provide dinner, lunch, and dinner six days a week, and on Sunday, we have a dinner meal. We provide showers during the week where people can come in and take a shower and change their clothes, get a laundry voucher if they need to take their clothes to the laundromat,” Ingle said.
Emily Fay said staying hydrated is important. Ingle said Lighthouse Ministries keeps a jug of cold water outside – and that everyone can help the less fortunate.
“You can't judge a book by its cover. You have no idea why that person is out there. I've heard somebody suggest if you've got a bottled water, hand them a bottle of water,” she said.
The heat plan also includes free LexTran rides to the cooling centers.
