CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- More than 300 people took advantage of a free cool-down in Uptown this weekend, as record-breaking heat smothered the Charlotte area Saturday and Sunday.
The Red Cross cooling center at the Hal Marshall Annex at Ninth and College Streets offered cold water, snacks, and a place to escape the heat for a couple of hours.
They're escaping from that torturous heat to someplace that it's cool land it's safe,” said Red Cross volunteer Angelina Maletto. “They can get some good cold water, sit down, and not have to worry about anything for at least a couple of minutes.”
Three days of 105-degree temperatures – and heat indices even higher -- have caused a handful of heat emergencies around Mecklenburg County. Medic responded to six on Saturday and another four on Sunday before storms cooled things down.
The cooling center will close at 8 p.m. Sunday, but will reopen if necessary during the week.
