The CurrentLCG opens cooling shelters as heat index reaches over 100 degrees
With temperatures expected to stay in the mid to upper 90s through Friday and “feels like” temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Lafayette Consolidated Government opened three cooling shelters on Tuesday, open during the day until Friday, with a total of five shelters made available to the public.
To allow easier access, Lafayette Transit Authority has made bus fares free through Friday for anyone traveling to a cooling center location.
Active cooling centers include three LCG recreational facilities, Oak Street Health Primary Care on Moss Street and St. Joseph Diner. Residents are also encouraged to visit the library during business hours to cool off.
Published:July 29, 9:00 am Federal energy assistance helps tens of thousands in Louisiana — Trump says it’s ‘unnecessary’The federal Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program helps tens of thousands in the state pay their light bills. Now, its future hangs in the balance.
For Lafayette’s most vulnerable residents, extreme heat, just like extreme cold, can be life-threatening. Over the winter, LCG operated 24-hour warming shelters. Currently, cooling shelters are only open during daytime hours, usually the hottest part of the day. Other municipalities, including New Orleans, have moved to also operate overnight shelters in response to extreme heat that barely dissipates at night.
The cooling centers are part of a larger emergency response plan rolled out by Lafayette’s new Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Chad Sonnier.
“Extreme heat is not just uncomfortable—it’s dangerous, especially for seniors, children, and those without access to air conditioning,” Sonnier says.
This part of summer has historically seen the most heat related deaths.
According to the Louisiana Department of Health, between April and October 2023, 88 people in Louisiana died from heat-related illnesses, with August accounting for 39 of those deaths.
LCG shelters will open early in the morning, depending on location, and close between 4 and 5 p.m. They are scheduled to remain open through Friday, providing water, fans and cover from the sun.
St. Joseph Diner, Catholic Charities’ soup kitchen, open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Simcoe Street, is included in the shelter locations.
MCDOT
