District Provides Safety in Summer Heat

Chris JL/Flickr

When Street Sense went to press, the District had declared four heat emergencies thus far in 2015 — a number comparable to other years, according to Dora Taylor, Public Information Officer for the Department of Human Services.

The District is considered to be in a state of emergency when the heat index, the air temperature in relation to relative humidity, is 95 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

A Heat Emergency Plan is implemented by the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) when an extreme heat warning is issued by the National Weather Service.

In the event of a heat emergency, residents are encouraged to visit a cooling center, spray park, recreational facility, or senior center. Centers are open until 6 PM, or unless the heat warning is not deactivated by that time.

HSEMA sets agencies on standby when a heat emergency is expected, as to have every facility open and running at full capacity when the heat emergency is announced.

“No one has ever been turned away from a shelter due to overcrowding due to us being alerted in advance when an emergency is expected.” Taylor said.

Handicap-accessible sites located throughout the city are opened and designated specifically for senior citizens during a heat emergency. Individuals can call 202-724-5622 for more information.

An extensive list of general public cooling centers and facilities can be found at hsema.dc.gov. In addition to these facilities, all public libraries will function as cooling centers to the general public.


Issues |Environment


Region |Washington DC

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