With 100 Degree Heat Index, Cooling Centers Part Of Fairfax County's Heat Plan

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — As temperatures will feel like 100 degrees or more on Tuesday, Fairfax County is activating its heat plan with cooling centers.

Fairfax County and the rest of the region are under a heat advisory from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Heat indexes will reach between 100 and 105, according to the National Weather Service. High index values are typically the result of high temperatures combined with humidity.

The county could again activate the heat plan on Wednesday if the weather is similar. Wednesday could bring heat indexes at or above 100 degrees again.

Fairfax County's heat plan for Tuesday includes the opening of cooling centers. Cooling centers will be available during operating hours for those who need relief from the heat or do not have working air conditioning.

The county is also checking on unsheltered residents and distributing supplies through outreach workers, partners, shelters, drop-in shelters and meal sites. The county's three shelters for single adults - — Embry Rucker Community Shelter in Reston, Bailey's Crossroads Community Shelter, and Eleanor U. Kennedy Shelter on Richmond Highway in Fort Belvoir — will have day and night overflow shelter capacity in effect.

Prolonged exposure to excessive heat can cause heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion, cramps, or heat stroke. A heat-related illness can result from the body heating too quickly and not being able to properly cool itself or through dehydration or sweating.

Heat exhaustion can involve symptoms like heavy sweating, weakness or tiredness, cool and clammy ski, fast and weak pulse, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache or fainting. A person experiencing heat exhaustion should be moved to a cooler area and given cool, wet cloths or a cool bath.

Heat stroke is considered more serious and can involve a throbbing headache; confusion; nausea; dizziness; body temperature above 103 degrees; hot, red, dry or damp skin; rapid and strong pulse; or fainting. In this case, call 911 or take the person to a hospital immediately while moving the person to a cooler area and using cool clothes or bath. A person experiencing heat stroke should not be given fluids.

More information about heat-related illness symptoms and how to respond is available from the National Weather Service.

Here is a list of cooling centers in Fairfax County. Check Fairfax County's library, community center and rec center websites for hours.

• Burke Centre Library: 5935 Freds Oak Rd, Burke, VA 22015
• Centreville Regional Library: 14200 St Germain Dr, Centreville, VA 20121
• Chantilly Regional Library: 4000 Stringfellow Rd, Chantilly, VA 20151
• City of Fairfax Regional Library: 10360 North St, Fairfax, VA 22030
• Dolley Madison Library: 1244 Oak Ridge Ave, McLean, VA 22101
• George Mason Regional Library: 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
• Great Falls Library: 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066
• Herndon Fortnightly Library: 768 Center St, Herndon, VA 20170
• John Marshall Library: 6209 Rose Hill Dr, Alexandria, VA 22310
• Kings Park Library: 9000 Burke Lake Rd, Burke, VA 22015
• Kingstowne Library: 6500 Landsdowne Centre Dr, Alexandria, VA 22315
• Lorton Library: 9520 Richmond Hwy, Lorton, VA 22079
• Martha Washington Library: 6614 Fort Hunt Rd, Alexandria, VA 22307
• Oakton Library: 10304 Lynnhaven Pl, Oakton, VA 22124
• Patrick Henry Library: 101 Maple Ave E, Vienna, VA 22180
• Pohick Regional Library: 6450 Sydenstricker Rd, Burke, VA 22015
• Reston Regional Library: 11925 Bowman Towne Dr, Reston, VA 20190
• Richard Byrd Library: 7250 Commerce St, Springfield, VA 22150
• Sherwood Regional Library: 2501 Sherwood Hall Ln, Alexandria, VA 22306
• Thomas Jefferson Library: 7415 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22042
• Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library: 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043
• Woodrow Wilson Library: 6101 Knollwood Dr, Falls Church, VA 22041
• Bailey's Community Center: 5920 Summers Ln, Falls Church, VA 22041
• Gum Springs Community Center: 8100 Fordson Rd, Alexandria, VA 22306
• Herndon Neighborhood Resource Center: 1086 Elden St, Herndon, VA 20170
• Huntington Community Center: 5751 Liberty Dr, Alexandria, VA 22303
• Hybla Valley Community Center: 7950 Audubon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22306
• James Lee Community Center: 2855 Annandale Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042
• Lorton Community Center: 9520 Richmond Hwy, Lorton, VA 22079
• Mott Community Center: 12111 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030
• David R. Pinn Community Center: 10225 Zion Dr, Fairfax, VA 22032
• Providence Community Center: 3001 Vaden Dr, Fairfax, VA 22031
• Sacramento Neighborhood Center: 8792 Sacramento Dr # E, Alexandria, VA 22309
• Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate: 12125 Pinecrest Rd, Reston, VA 20191
• Sully Community Center: 13800 Wall Rd, Herndon, VA 20171
• Willston Multicultural Center: 6131 Willston Dr, Falls Church, VA 22044
• Audrey Moore Rec Center: 8100 Braddock Rd, Annandale, VA 22003
• Cub Run Rec Center: 4630 Stonecroft Blvd, Chantilly, VA 20151
• Franconia Rec Center: 6601 Telegraph Rd, Alexandria, VA 22310
• George Washington Rec Center: 8426 Old Mt Vernon Rd., Alexandria, VA 22309
• Oak Marr Rec Center: 3200 Jermantown Rd, Oakton, VA 22124
• Providence Rec Center: 7525 Marc Dr, Falls Church, VA 22042
• South Run Rec Center: 7550 Reservation Dr, Springfield, VA 22153
• Spring Hill Rec Center: 1239 Spring Hill Rd, McLean, VA 22102
• Cameron Glen Office: 1850 Cameron Glen Dr, Reston, VA 20190
• Gerry Hyland Government Center: 8350 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22309
• Heritage Center Office: 7611 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003
• Lake Anne Office: 11484 Washington Plaza W, Reston, VA 20190
• Pennino Building: 12011 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22035

Below is the forecast for the coming days in Fairfax, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. At night, mostly clear, with a low around 74.

Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Heat index values as high as 103. At night, partly cloudy, with a low around 73.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. At night, showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. At night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m., then a chance of showers between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.