Tips, tricks, and places to go during extreme heat

Lynchburg, Virginia – Mother Nature has brought sweltering heat to our hometowns less than a week into the summer.

Sara Wohlford, Director of Sustainability at Carilion, advised everyone to take one precaution to keep safe during heat waves.

“If you have an air conditioner, use it. But if you don’t have air conditioning or you don’t have that option, you could go to a friend or family member’s house or a public space that does have an air conditioner,” she explained.

One charity organization is lending its air conditioning to those in need for people who might not have anywhere else to go.

“We are open from 12 to four when the weather is hot. So 88 degrees, sometimes 90 degrees. It really just depends on how hot it is,” said Capt. Nisha Spears with Salvation Army Lynchburg.

The public can escape the heat by using the cooling center operated by the Salvation Army in Lynchburg.

“We have games for them to play, coloring, you can even learn a new task, we have sewing for them,” said Capt. Spears. “So if they want to get out of this heat because it is very hot out there, so if they want to get out they can come to the Salvation Army.”

Everyone is welcome to come enjoy the water, food, and refreshing air in their dining room.

“People are very happy to see that something like this is open, because what we do is for the people, so we’re going to do everything we can to help as many people as we can,” said Capt. Spears.

No matter how long the hot temperatures persist, The Salvation Army intends to remain open.
Wohlford advised doing a few things if you or someone you observe is experiencing heat-related problems as long as the temperatures remain high.

“Stopping physical activity, drinking water, waiting for the cramps to stop before resuming activity, moving someone to a cooler space if they’re really in danger,” said Wohlford. She emphasized, “If there’s really a risk of heatstroke or signs of heatstroke, then you need to call 911.”

Meteorologists have declared another First Alert Weather Day for Wednesday due to the high temperatures.

Additional cooling center sites are as follows:

Lynchburg Public Library-Main Branch: Monday-Saturday from 9:30am-5:30pm

Downtown Library Branch: Monday-Saturday from 9:30am-5:30pm

Department of Human services: Monday-Friday from 8:30am-5pm

Lynchburg Community Market: Tuesday-Saturday from 7am-2pm

Miller Park Pool: Daily from 1pm-6pm