GREENSBORO, N.C. — If you work outside or have even just walked to your car this week during the day, you know how intense the heat has been. If you’re not doing your best to stay cool, that heat could be dangerous.
To combat that, the city of Greensboro has opened some cooling stations. One of those is the Interactive Resource Center, located in the heart of downtown.
Bennita Curtain, the center’s Director of Programs, said, “If you think about it when we’re out in the heat and we’re sweating we want what? A cold shower. And so now that we expanded our services you can take two, three, four showers a day. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting sweaty or getting hot. If you want to go out and enjoy the weather, you know that you have a place to come back to as opposed to wondering 'Where am I going to find shade?'”
Additionally, some families took the chance to cool off and go watch animals play.
The Greensboro Science Center was packed on Wednesday. From families to summer camps and school trips, there were people everywhere.
Many told News 2 the reason they decided to go there was because it has both indoor and outdoor exhibits.
“We were thinking about the water park and stuff like that, but we kind of ruled that out just because it was so hot,” Vanessa Craven said. “I just chose the aquarium over here today so she can step out and look at animals real quick and go back inside to get out of the heat and beat the sun.”
For the families that did step outside to take a peek at the red pandas or flamingos, they were doing their best to cool off.
Doctors recommend you drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated, stay away from sweet treats, and stay in the shade as much as you can.
As summer rolls around and more families head to the zoo, the center prepares its staff to help someone if needed.
Nicole Wiegwand, Dive Safety Officer, said, “We make sure to let all of our staff know about heat exhaustion and heat stroke and what the difference between those are.”
“All of our staff has access to our first aid kits, which have ice packs, water bottles, and sports drinks, so we can assist any guest if they are in need.”
While the people at the zoo were doing their best to stay cool, severe heat can also be dangerous for animals. The staff said it had extra eyes on the red pandas, who are the most sensitive to heat.
While it may get a little cooler over the next few days, don’t let your guard down. Keep following those safety tips: drinking liquids, wearing sunscreen, and doing your best to limit exposure to the sun.
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