Savannah Local Utilizes Cooling Center Benefits

SAVANNAH, Ga. () — In the extreme heat, a Savannah man found comfort in one of the city’s cooling centers, providing him water, air conditioning and a sense of community Monday.

Tompkins Regional Center is just one out of five cooling sites across the city. Rodarious Jenkins is finding ways to make the most of the city’s resources.

“You can meet new people, everything,” Jenkins said. “You come here to play basketball and get on a computer.”

The city of Savannah said when the heat index hits 108 and the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory, that’s when cooling centers open. Jenkins said having access to spaces like this has helped him avoid heat-related illness or something much worse.

“I’m really thankful because you don’t get a lot of this,” he said.

You may find him taking advantage of the amenities, like the pool, of course with caution.

“They might catch me taking a little dip in the pool,” he said. “It gets up there.”

He also gave one final piece of advice.

“Make sure you have the AC on auto blast and don’t go outside,” Jenkins said. “If you ain’t working or you ain’t got a job right now, you shouldn’t be going outside.”