SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Hello summer!
It’s going to be a hot weekend across Central Florida, and Seminole County has activated its extreme weather plan while a heat advisory is in effect.
News 6 met with Emergency Manager Alan Harris Friday afternoon to see what resources they have mobilized to make sure the most vulnerable are taken care of.
The county’s plan includes opening cooling centers with misting fans and bottled water and working with partners such as The Sharing Center and Rescue Outreach Mission to make sure they have the resources they need.
“We wrote this extreme weather plan about 5 or 6 years ago, and we were seeing about one to two days where we would activate our extreme weather plan,” said Harris. “Now we’re activating it for weeks at a time. For this particular time, it looks like we’re going to be activated for almost a week before we can get some cooler weather in the area.
Harris urges people spending time outdoors to wear cool clothing, stay hydrated, and stay in the shade as much as possible.
Hundreds of families will be spending their weekend at the Boombah Sports Complex off Lake Mary Boulevard for a baseball tournament. The county has brought out misting fans to that location, but parents told News 6 said they came prepared themselves.
Denise Pence, who came with her family from Missouri, brought an umbrella and water to Friday’s game.
“We had plenty of water and Gatorade, and we were good,” said Pence. “Now, we’re headed to the beach.”
Pence said she’s used to the heat, but a Florida summer is something else.
“We’re used to being around lake life, so it’s hot all the time up in Missouri,” said Pence. “This is a little bit different though, because I don’t walk around completely drenched in sweat.”
Eric Baxmann came from Ft. Myers to watch his son play this weekend. He showed us a cart he packed with a fan and cooler with water and ice. He also wears a hat and carries an umbrella to stay out of the sun.
“You know, the fields here are actually artificial grass, so it radiates a little bit more heat,” said Paxman. “They’re from Florida, so they know to drink a lot of water and try when they get in the dugout to stay in the shade.”
The county shared heat safety reminders on social media urging people to:
- Stay hydrated
- Monitor body temperature
- Protect vulnerable individuals and pets from hot temperatures
- Wear light, loose-fitting clothing
- Take advantage of shaded areas
- Limit physical activity during the hottest parts of the day
- ALWAYS double check your vehicle to ensure pets and children aren’t left behind
A list of relief stations at libraries and parks in Seminole County are below:
- East Branch Library, 310 Division St, Oviedo
- Jean Rhein Central Branch Library, 215 N Oxford Rd, Casselberry
- North Branch Library, 150 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford
- Northwest Branch Library, 580 Greenway Blvd, Lake Mary
- West Branch Library, 245 N Hunt Club Blvd, Longwood
- Sanlando Park, 401 W Highland St, Altamonte Springs
- Sylvan Lake Park, 845 Lake Markham Rd, Sanford
- Red Bug Lake Park, 3600 Red Bug Lake Rd, Casselberry
- Soldiers Creek Park, 2400 State Rd 419, Longwood
- Boombah Sports Complex, 3450 E. Lake Mary Blvd, Sanford
Seminole County is also asking people to keep an eye on their pets in the hot weather.
Al Adams, special projects manager at Animal Services, said be mindful of the asphalt during walks.
“If you’re putting your hand on the asphalt and it’s too hot for you, it’s probably too hot for the dogs,” said Adams. “Try to walk them early in the morning if you have to be outside or late in the afternoon.”
The county is pumping in air conditioning at the shelter to keep animals and staff cool in the kennels this summer.