TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — With triple-digit temperatures and a heat advisory in effect, some downtown Tallahassee neighbors are finding relief in unexpected places.
- Leon County faces dangerous heat advisories with record-breaking temperatures.
- The downtown Main Library serves as a cooling relief center for residents.
- Watch the video below to see how neighbors are using alternative methods to stay cool.
Leon County residents find refuge from dangerous heat at the downtown library
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Downtown neighbors fight Sunday’s heat advisory with alternative methods like IV hydration and city park splash pads
“When you don’t have air and you know it’s hot, nothing else really matters,” neighbor Ronnie Wilson said.
I’m Lentheus Chaney in the downtown Tallahassee neighborhood—speaking with a local nurse offering medical hydration, and a neighbor finding relief from the heat.
More extreme temperatures and another heat advisory.
Sunday, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Leon County—in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It’s one of several extreme heat days across the Big Bend, with feels-like temperatures climbing well into the triple digits.
While some neighbors cooled off at the Cascade Park splash pad, the downtown main library opened its doors as a cooling center—offering air conditioning, water, and restroom access.
Registered nurse Emily Hodges owns an IV hydration business just steps from the library.
She says people lose more fluids than they realize when extreme heat combines with Florida's high humidity.
“We’ve definitely been seeing an influx of people coming in that work outside—so contractors, people that do any type of outside work—even just people doing yard work—that are coming in specifically for electrolyte loss,” Hodges said.
Wilson, a Tallahassee native, says he’s felt the rising temperatures year after year—and the library is a safe place to escape extreme heat.
“It’s hotter now. It’s not like it used to be. It’s much, much hotter. The heat is drier. It’s much more intense. But when you have a place you can come that’s inviting to everyone—you don’t have to pay for something, you don’t have to buy anything—you just come here and just sit down and cool off. This is a godsend for the whole community,” Wilson said.
Leon County officials are reminding residents to check on seniors, children, and those with medical conditions—groups most at risk for heat-related illnesses.
Hodges says not hydrating properly can take a toll on your health, damage your kidneys, and even land you in the emergency room.
Sunday’s heat advisory was the second one issued in just two days.
In downtown Tallahassee, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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