With oppressive heat settling over Metro Detroit, some families are finding creative ways to stay comfortable, including water hoses and inflatable pools.
“Too hot for me. I’m a spring and fall person,” said Debra Parks, a Detroit resident.
Parks said there isn’t much relief inside her home because her air conditioner is broken. She’s still pushing through the heat while babysitting her grandson, Jalen.
“We just got fans everywhere, fans in all the windows,” Parks said.
A University of Michigan report found that about 12% of households in the Metro Detroit area lack any form of cooling, a reality that can be dangerous during prolonged periods of extreme heat.
Seniors are among the most at risk during heat waves, which is why the Detroit Area Agency on Aging said it is taking steps to help older adults stay safe, including providing transportation to cooling centers.
“We are making sure that we providing them with cases of water as well as fans,” said Jonita Edwards, the agency’s chief administrative officer.
Detroit officials said community centers are also helping people escape the heat.
Helen Moore Community Center is one of about a dozen Detroit recreation centers serving as cooling centers. Some locations are staying open late into the evening.
“We just want to make sure we have a place where our residents can have, like, a safe haven from the adverse weather,” said Crystal Perkins, Detroit’s General Services Department director. “All of our centers are open, anybody can come in. You don’t need a membership if you just need to sit, if you just need to get some water, because we do ask that everybody make sure you hydrate. It’s very important.”