Baldwin County opened its first cooling center of the year this week as a dangerous heat wave pushed heat indexes toward 112 degrees along the Gulf Coast, part of an extended advisory stretching across south Alabama and the western Florida panhandle.
An Extended, Dangerous Heat Event
The National Weather Service placed Baldwin County and surrounding areas under an extended heat advisory Sunday evening, with heat indexes forecast as high as 112 degrees Monday and Tuesday and actual highs between 95 and 98. The advisory zone read like a map of the central Gulf Coast: Perdido Bay, Foley, Dauphin Island, Grand Bay, Bayou La Batre, Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Bay Minette, Orange Beach, Theodore and Mobile, along with a long list of communities across the state line.
“Dangerous heat stress continues to worsen into midweek,” an NWS report warned. “Heat Advisories are in effect through Tuesday and an Extreme Heat Watch is in effect for our coastal areas on Tuesday.”
A Place to Cool Off in Foley
In response, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Foley opened its doors as a cooling center from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Food and water were provided to anyone who came in from the heat, pets were allowed inside, and the church added a free meal service beginning at 5 p.m. each evening. The center did not offer beds or overnight accommodations.
The announcement marked the first time this year Baldwin County had issued a heat advisory and opened a cooling center — a marker of how early and how intensely the season’s heat arrived.
“These conditions significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses,” the Baldwin County Commission said in a press release issued Monday morning. “Baldwin EMA (Emergency Management Agency) encourages residents, especially vulnerable individuals, to utilize the Cooling Center, stay hydrated, avoid prolonged exposure, and check on neighbors.”
Who Is Most at Risk
Emergency managers emphasized that heat waves quietly become deadliest for people without air conditioning, outdoor workers, older adults living alone, and pets left outside or in vehicles. Heat illness can progress from cramps and exhaustion to life-threatening heat stroke within hours, and officials urged residents to treat the advisory days like a storm — plan around them, check on vulnerable neighbors, and never leave children or animals in parked cars.
County officials said additional cooling center openings are possible if the heat pattern lingers, and encouraged residents to monitor local alerts through the week. For more information about the cooling center, people can call 251-256-8202.