TAMPA, Fla. — It may not be luxurious, but people taking advantage of Tampa’s cooling centers say they’re a godsend when it comes to dealing with the heat.
The city has been opening the doors to its recreation centers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Al Lopez, Cuscaden and McFarlane parks this week.
This comes with no charge, free water, snacks, TV – and of course – plenty of cool air.
The relief program continues through 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16.
After that, the city says it will re-evaluate keeping the cooling centers open depending on weather conditions in the local area.
“If you came in, you [could] sit down for a little bit and get some water. We're not going to turn anybody away, obviously,” Lisa Bryant with Tampa’s Parks and Recreation Department said.
“That’s good [that they have these cooling centers],” Cyntretha Thompson said as she escaped the heat. “They should do it all the time. Very helpful.”
Tampa is also encouraging people to cool off at any of its splash pads and swimming pools, which will be free to the public, with no recreation card needed through the end of August.
Tampa had originally planned to keep the cooling centers open through last weekend, but the persistent high temperatures convinced them to extend the offer through August 16.
It could also start back up again depending upon our weather. For updates and alerts, the city says to text the word HEATSAFE to 888-777.