Louisville joins heat advisory affecting 100 million across U.S.

Dangerous heat already hanging over vast swathes of the West is migrating into Kentucky and parts of Southern Indiana on Wednesday.

The strong high pressure system is carrying heat and moisture that is expected to make temperatures in Louisville feel like 107 degrees or higher.

Louisville’s National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Wednesday, joining more than 100 million people across the country under excessive heat warnings or advisories this week.

NWS meteorologist Mike Kochasic said sensitive populations, including older adults and children, should take care during the hottest parts of the day.

“When heat index values approach 105 degrees and higher, that’s when the body has a hard time cooling itself down and you’ll see increased heat illness and heat exhaustion for those who spend too much time outdoors,” Kochasic said.

In Louisville, cooling centers including public libraries will be open to offer respite from the heat, and Operation White Flag will take effect once temperatures reach 95 degrees. That program opens additional around-the-clock shelter space for the city’s unsheltered residents.

Hotter temperatures lead to more heat-related illnesses, causing more than 11,000 deaths across the country between 1979 and 2019, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Kochasic said the high pressure system won’t do anything to help the moderate drought now affecting portions of Western Kentucky.

As of Tuesday, Louisville’s National Weather Service tweeted that this summer already ranks as the city’s No. 11 all-time hottest going back to 1873.

Greenhouse gasses from burning fossil fuels are increasing earth’s surface temperatures and the frequency of extreme heat events, such as the heat waves currently broiling the U.S. and Europe.

The climate research nonprofit Climate Central has found average summer temperatures in Louisville have warmed 3.4 degrees since 1970.

Here’s a list of Louisville Metro cooling centers, according to  Metro United Way and the Town of Clarksville: 

Downtown Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Main branch) – 301 York St.
• Louisville Public Library (Western branch) – 604 South Tenth St.
• Louisville Public Library (Highlands-Shelby Park branch) – 1250 Bardstown Road, Suite 4
• Louisville Public Library (Crescent Hill branch) – 2762 Frankfort Ave.
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Fourth division) – 1340 South Fourth St.
• Healing Place (for adult men only) – 1020 West Market St.

West Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Shawnee branch) – 3912 West Broadway
• Louisville Public Library (Portland branch) – 3305 Northwestern Parkway
• Louisville Public Library (Shively branch) – 3920 Dixie Highway
• Louisville Metro Police Department (First division) – 416 North 29th St.
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Second division) – 3419 Bohne Ave.
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Third division) – 7219 Dixie Highway
• Salvation Army of Louisville (Main office) – 911 South Brook St.
• Healing Place (for adult women and their children) – 1503 South 15th St.
• Neighborhood Place (Cane Run) – 3410 Lees Lane

South Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Iroquois branch) – 601 West Woodlawn Ave.
• Louisville Public Library (Southwest regional branch) – 9725 Dixie Highway
• Louisville Public Library (South Central regional branch) – 7300 Jefferson Blvd.
• Louisville Public Library (Fairdale branch) – 10620 Manslick Road
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Sixth division) – 5600 Shepherdsville Road
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Seventh division) – 7201 Outer Loop
• Neighborhood Place (First location) – 1503 Rangeland Road

East Louisville

• Louisville Public Library (Newburg branch) – 4800 Exeter Ave.
• Louisville Public Library (St. Matthews branch) – 3940 Grandview Ave.
• Louisville Public Library (Bon Air branch) – 2816 Del Ri Place
• Louisville Public Library (Jeffersontown branch) – 10635 Watterson Trail
• Louisville Metro Police Department (Eighth division) – 2927 Goose Creek Road

Clarksville

• Jeffersonville Township Public Library (Clarksville branch) – 1312 Eastern Blvd.

Hours of operation and contact information for each site can be found here on the Metro United Way website. Public pools and spraygrounds can be found on the Louisville city website.

Daytime shelters

Salvation Army Center of Hope — 911 South Brook St., 502-671-4904

Shelters operating day and night

Wayside Christian Mission — 432 East Jefferson St., 502-742-6166

St. Vincent de Paul (Men only) — 1034 South Jackson St., 502-584-2480 ext. 224

Residents can also get emergency updates through the Louisville Coalition for the Homeless’ Coordinated Shelter Access online, or by calling the hotline at 502-637-2337.