Indiana religious leaders hold dedication ceremony for Floyd County's first cooling centers

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- As the temperatures in August soar, southern Indiana religious leaders are coming together to make sure people in the Floyd County area stay cool.

New Albany clergy and community leaders from 12 different organizations hosted a dedication service at Culbertson Baptist Church on Grant Line Road to launch the first ever city-wide cooling centers on Sunday. The leaders partnered with a group called Hoosier Action to make the centers possible.

Pastor Paul Snyder told those gathered Sunday that recent record-breaking temperatures underscored the need for community cooling centers.

"In June, we saw a record-breaking heat wave, and that is when we starting having initial conversations with about 12 other clergy within out community and Hoosier Action, and started putting together the plan which we are now implementing in the next week," Snyder said.

A cooling center is a free, air-conditioned space with water and bathrooms made available to the public during extreme heat. They are often located in libraries, churches, and community centers, and frequently funded by local and state governments.

There are over 50 designated cooling centers in Louisville, but none in Floyd County -- until now.

Hours and Locations

The new cooling stations will be open Aug. 19 through Sept. 19, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, whenever the heat index reaches 100 degrees or higher. The cooling centers will be located in libraries, churches, and community centers. It's the first time cooling centers will be available in Floyd County.

Below is a list of places where people in Floyd County can get relief from the heat: