New heat warning issued for Lexington

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – With a heat index of 36-37 degrees forecast for this week, the City of Lexington will implement Phase One of the Heat Plan, effective Wednesday morning, July 3, through Friday evening, July 5.

As part of the first phase, the city says homeless people can ride LexTran to cooling stations for free while response teams distribute water throughout the community. Community centers such as Dunbar, Kenwick, Castlewood and Tates Creek will serve as cooling stations and will remain open into the early evening hours.

While some traditional providers will be closed on Thursday, July 4, for the holiday, the city said the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention has arranged for Lightouse Ministries at 190 Spruce St. to remain open as a cooling station.

The city added it would monitor the heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to determine how “hot” it feels outside, and extend resources if necessary. The Department of Emergency Management said residents should take precautions when outdoors, especially during the late morning and afternoon hours. Young children, the elderly and people with medical conditions are vulnerable to heat-related illness and should seek shelter if possible.

For more information, visit www.BeReadyLexington.com, the Lexington Emergency Management Facebook page, and the Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts: @LexKYEM.