LEXINGTON, Ky. — The city of Lexington activated Phase One of its Heat Plan on June 10, with the activation extending through June 11 as heat index forecasts reach 95 degrees, according to city officials.

The multi-faceted response includes free LexTran rides to cooling stations for those experiencing homelessness, distribution of supplies throughout the community by outreach teams, and extended hours at Lexington's four community centers—Dunbar, Kenwick, Castlewood, and Tates Creek—which will remain open until early evening. The Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention has opened cooling stations at seven locations including Arbor Youth Services, Lexington Rescue Mission, and Recovery Café Lexington.

The Division of Emergency Management urged all residents to take precautions outdoors, particularly during late morning through afternoon hours. The division emphasized that the very young, elderly, and those with medical conditions are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness and should seek shelter from the extreme heat.

City officials said they will continue monitoring heat index conditions and expand resources as necessary. The heat index combines temperature and humidity to approximate how hot conditions actually feel to the human body, and at 95 degrees residents can expect heat exhaustion to be possible, particularly with prolonged exposure or physical activity.

More information about handling extreme heat is available from the Lexington Emergency Management website.