Dade County Emergency Management will open all three of the county’s community shelter facilities as cooling areas as high heat index values are forecast across the area over the next several days.
Officials say the shelters will remain open 24 hours a day and are available to anyone who needs a place to escape the heat. The facilities are monitored by cameras, allowing emergency management officials to know when the shelters are being used and helping provide additional safety for those inside.
The three cooling locations are:
- Sports Complex — 9622 U.S. Highway 11, Trenton
- South Dade — 265 School Street, Rising Fawn
- Sand Mountain — 249 Davis School Road, Trenton
Tables and chairs will be available inside each facility. However, anyone planning to remain at a shelter for an extended period should bring their own necessities, including food, water and other personal items.
The shelters normally serve as severe weather facilities and are FEMA-approved structures designed to withstand winds of up to 250 mph.
Dade County EMA is making the facilities available as cooling areas due to the expected high heat index and encourages residents who need relief from the dangerous temperatures to take advantage of the shelters.
