Excessive Heat Warnings Continue Through August

NEW ORLEANS — The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an Excessive Heat Warning in the New Orleans area for Sunday, August 6 and Monday, August 7 from 10 A.M. until 7 P.M.   The weather forecast indicates that high humidity levels will result in heat index values – that is, temperatures that “feel like” – of 115 degrees or higher.  Dangerously hot temperatures likely to continue through the remainder of the week.

NWS indicates that 2023 has broken or approached multiple records for heat.  Sunday, August 6, marks the 7th consecutive day for feels like temps of 115+F, which meets the crtieria for NWS to issue an Excessive Heat Warning.  The forecasted excessive heat warning for Monday, August 7 will mark the 17th excessive heat warning issued for 2023 so far, beating the previous record of 5 warnings in 2021.

These hot temperatures can become life-threatening if the proper precautions are not taken. The combination of heat index readings of 115-120 degrees and evening lows remaining in the 80’s will provide little if any relief for the body to cool for those without access to air conditioning or cooling centers. 

Residents can visit weatherwise.nola.gov to find localized updates on weather conditions when considering outdoor activities.

 

NOLA READY HEAT RELIEF MAP

Earlier this month, the City of New Orleans launched the NOLA Ready Heat Relief Map, which can be found at https://ready.nola.gov.  This interactive map lists free, indoor air-conditioned locations for the general public. 

Businesses or organizations that are willing to act as a free community cooling site should email ready@nola.gov with the address, dates, and hours to be added to the map.

 

EMERGENCY COOLING CENTERS 

In coordination with the New Orleans Health Department and New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the City of New Orleans is coordinating the use of three New Orleans Recreation Development facilities as “emergency cooling centers” that allow individuals to seek respite from the dangerously hot temperatures. The following locations will be available from Sunday, August 6, 10 AM to 6 PM: 

• Joe Brown Recreation Center, 5601 Read Blvd 

• Rosenwald Recreation Center, 1120 S. Broad Ave. 

• Annunciation Recreation Center, 800 Race St.

• Cut-Off Recreation Center, 6600 Belgrade St.

 

HEAT RELIEF RESOURCES FOR MONDAY - FRIDAY, AUGUST 7-11:

• Algiers Courthouse is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 A.M. - 2:45 P.M. (225 Morgan Street, Room 209)
• Arthur Monday Community Center is open Monday - Friday, 7 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. (1111 Newton Street, Suite 101)
• Carrollton-Hollygrove Senior Center is open Monday - Friday, 8 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. (3300 Hamilton St)
• Edna Pilsbury Center is open Monday - Friday, 8 am - 4 pm (2222 Simon Bolivar Ave, 2nd floor)
• Louisiana SPCA is open Monday - Saturday, 12 P.M. - 7 P.M. (1700 Mardi Gras Blvd)
• OHL Sobering Center is open 24/7 (732 N Claiborne Ave)
• NORDC locations are open Monday-Friday 10 A.M. to 9 P.M. and Saturdays 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. as follows:
  • Annunciation Recreation Center, 800 Race St
  • Cut-Off Recreation Center, 6600 Belgrade St
  • Desire-Florida Multi-Purpose Recreation Center, 3250 Industry St
  • Gernon Brown Rec Center, 1001 Harrison Ave.
  • Joe W. Brown Recreation Center, 5601 Read Blvd
  • Lyons Recreation Center, 624 Louisiana Ave
  • Milne Rec Center, 5420 Franklin Ave
  • Rosenwald Recreation Center, 1120 S. Broad St
  • Sanchez Multi-Service Center, 1616 Fats Domino Ave
  • St. Bernard Recreation Center, 1500 Lafreniere St
  • Stallings St. Claude Recreation Center, 4300 St. Claude Ave
  • Treme Recreation Community Center, 900 N. Villere St
  • NORDC Aquatics will be open as follows:
    • Federal City Pool on Naval Base, 2220 Constitution St. M-F 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm
    • Gert Town Pool 3411 Broadway St. M-F  8am-7pm , Sat 9am-2pm
    • Lyons Pool 624 Louisiana Ave. M-F 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-2pm
    • Rosenwald Pool 1120 N. Broad St. M-F 8am-6pm , Sat 9am-2pm.
    • Sanchez Pool 1616 Fats Domino Ave. M-F 8am-7pm , Sat 9am-2pm
    • Stallings Gentilly Pool, 2700 Lapeyrouse St. M-F 8am-6pm and Sat 9am-2pm
    • Treme Pool 900 N. Villere St. M-F 7am-7pm and Sat 9am-2pm
• All New Orleans Public Library locations are open Monday – Thursday, 10 A.M. - 7 P.M. and Friday – Saturday, 10 A.M. - 5 P.M., with the following exceptions:
  • Main Library is open Monday - Thursday, 10 A.M. - 6 P.M. and Friday – Saturday, 10 A.M. - 5 P.M.
  • Keller Library & Community Center are closed due to facility maintenance.
• For Unhoused Individuals:
  • Ozanam Inn has a cooling area from 5:30 A.M. – 6:30 P.M. daily (2239 Poydras St)
  • New Orleans Women & Children's Shelter will be open 9 A.M. -5 P.M.
  • The New Orleans Mission will open their Day Center as a cooling site and provide water 10 A.M. - 4 P.M. daily.
  • Grace at the Greenlight will be open 6:30 A.M. - 7:15 A.M. daily and will have water on hand.

 

SAFETY TIPS

Residents are advised to take the following precautions to prevent health emergencies due to overexposure to extreme heat:

People Over Age 65 Are At Higher Risk For Heat Related Illness

• Stay in air-conditioned spaces. 
• Wear light, loose fitting clothing made from breathable materials. 
• Take cool showers.
• Keep your windows covered. 
• Rest.
• Stay in contact with loved ones.
• Seek medical care immediately if you begin showing symptoms of heat related illness.  

How To Help An Older Adult In The Heat 

• Know what medications they take, and check if they can increase risk for heat related illness.  
• Check in with them regularly, making sure they are somewhere cool and are staying hydrated.
• Place fans close to walls to reduce risk of tripping over wires or extension cords.
• Get medical care for them if they begin showing symptoms of heat-related illness. 

How To Help Someone With Dementia Or Alzheimer’s During Extreme Heat 

• Make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather.  
• Make sure they stay hydrated; they may forget to drink enough water. Drinking water at the same time as them may help. 
• Keep glasses of water within easy reach. Straws may also help if they have limited mobility.  
• Eat high water content foods with them, such as ice pops, watermelon and cucumber. 

 

Children & Pets

• Children and pets should never be left unattended in a vehicle.
  • Even in 70-degree weather, the interior temperature of a vehicle can increase rapidly to over 100 degrees in just 20 minutes.
  • Cracking a window does not help.
• Leaving a child or pet unattended in a vehicle often leads to a life-threatening emergency.
• Anyone who sees a child or animal unattended in a vehicle is urged to call 9-1-1 immediately.

 

SUSPENSION OF SERVICE DISCONNECTIONS

Entergy New Orleans does not disconnect on days that the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory, which is expected to last throughout the rest of this week.  Residents can call 1-800-ENTERGY to report outages.

The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) will also suspend shut offs for delinquent accounts.  Please call 52-WATER to report any water or sewer emergencies. 

 

For more information and safety tips visit nola.ready.gov. To receive up-to-date alerts text NOLAREADY to 77295.

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