DETROIT – Belle Isle was packed Monday as people looked to get some relief from the heat.
“They say July is the hottest month, it’s August y’all,” said Frederick Berry Jr. who was enjoying the sunset from waters edge with his family.
Berry’s child, a Detroit Public Schools Community District student, returned to school Monday (Aug. 26) for a half day because of the heat.
“Obviously, not the way you want to start off the school year but you can’t control the weather and half of our schools don’t have air conditioning,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District.
Students and parents can expect a half-day again on Tuesday at DPSCD; a decision on Wednesday has not yet been made.
The district plans to update more schools. Over the next five years, they plan to install air conditioning in all but 10 schools.
In Plymouth, township police issued a heat warning to residents around the same time a power outage occurred.
More than 1,000 customers were affected for a short time, and DTE said the outage was due to equipment failure.
DTE is advising people to drink plenty of water, avoid direct sunlight if possible, and check on family and neighbors.
They’re also encouraging people to wear loose, lightweight clothing, bring pets inside, and not leave people or pets in cars.
Signs of heat sickness include muscle cramps, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and clammy skin.
For your home, DTE recommends shading the inside by closing curtains.
They also suggest using a fan, using appliances in the evening hours, cleaning off your AC unit, and raising the temperature on your thermostat while you’re away from home to save money.
Detroit is activating cooling centers, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
The centers are:
- Patton Recreation Center at 2301 Woodmere Street
- Heilmann Recreation Center at 1960 Brock Avenue
- Northwest Activities Center at 18100 Meyers Road
All Detroit Public Library locations will also serve as centers during their normal operating hours.
Click here for more information on a branch closest to you to visit.