Cooling center, 30 hydration stations open amid heat wave in Atlanta

Atlanta has opened a cooling center at Selena S. Butler Park and designated 30 fire stations as hydration stations as a dangerous heat wave continues to build across the region.

The cooling center is located at 98 William Holmes Borders Senior Drive and is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice, according to the city. Atlanta officials said the new sites are meant to give residents access to water and relief from the heat.

The city also directed people to splash pads and pools as additional places to cool off.

Who the response is meant to help

The heat-response rollout is aimed at residents facing the highest risk from extreme temperatures, including unhoused people, older adults and people without air conditioning.

Axios reported daytime temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s, with heat index values above 100 degrees in parts of the region. Public-health officials commonly treat those conditions as dangerous because the combination of heat and humidity can raise the risk of heat illness quickly.

Regional heat context

The Atlanta response comes as a broader heat wave has already prompted cooling-center openings in other places and is expected to spread eastward, according to an Associated Press report published June 29.

Atlanta’s move adds another local public-safety response to a weather system that is already straining residents and emergency services. City officials have not indicated that the cooling center or hydration-station network is finished changing, and the response may be updated if the heat persists.