BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Eight cooling stations across Monroe County are open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as intense heat returns to southern Indiana.
Cooling stations are a place where people who are in need of short-term relief from the heat can come and cool down, according to a Facebook post from the Monroe County Emergency Management. The eight cooling stations are listed below:
Temperatures will be in the mid-to-upper 90s both Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Heat index values as high as 101 on Wednesday and 110 on Thursday.
- Bloomington Fire Station Headquarters
226 South College Avenue, Bloomington - Ellettsville Fire Department Headquarters
5080 West State Road 46, Ellettsville - Monroe Fire Protection District – Perry Station 22
3953 South Kennedy Drive, Bloomington - Monroe Fire Protection District – Clear Creek Station 21 (Pet Friendly)
9094 South Strain Ridge Road, Bloomington - Monroe Fire Protection District – Indian Creek Station 23
8019 South Rockport Road, Bloomington - Monroe Fire Protection District – Bloomington Station 25
5081 North Old State Road 37, Bloomington - Monroe Fire Protection District – Van Buren Station 29 (Pet Friendly)
2130 South Kirby Road, Bloomington - Monroe Fire Protection District – Benton Station 24
7606 East State Road 45, Unionville
The cooling stations will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Tuesday until at least Thursday, but may be extended if the heat wave continues.
There will not be food, showers or sleeping areas available. Pets are allowed at Monroe Fire Protection District Stations 21 and 29 but they must be in a kennel or carrier.
FREE ADMISSION TO CITY POOLS
Bryan Park and Mills Pools will be free to the public when the National Weather Service heat risk is category two or above, according to a press release.
As of Tuesday, the HeatRisk forecast for Bloomington is a 2 on July 31 and a 3 on Aug. 1.
The NWS HeatRisk indicator forecasts the risk of heat-related impacts over a 24-hour period, considering how unusual the heat is for the time of the year, the duration of the heat including both daytime and nighttime temperatures, and if those temperatures pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts based on data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The HeatRisk is a color-coded scale that ranges from zero to four. The scale is copied below from the National Weather Service.
Both pools are open daily from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The Switchyard Plaza Spray Pad opened for the season on May 25 and is free to the public. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Labor Day.
The IU Outdoor Pool also opened for the year on May 25. Information on pool hours and membership costs can be found on the pool’s website.
