Atlanta’s heat threatens everyone. But one group is especially at-risk

A little before 9 a.m., as the sun peeked through the trees and the heat of another scorching Atlanta summer day set in, Ladell Hassell was already drenched with sweat.

Surrounded by piles of trash, tents and other makeshift enclosures, the 24-year-old struggled to replace a bike tire so he could hit the streets in search of water. Nearby gas stations had been willing to let him and others experiencing homelessness refill, but lately, he said he encounters locked faucets and spigots at many shops, or cashiers who charge 60 cents for a cup.

His quest to stay hydrated now consumes large chunks of his day, and it has become more urgent in this week’s extreme heat.

“It’s become a really big struggle for us, honestly,” he said.

Hassell has been without a roof for about two months and was among the dozens of people taking shelter in an encampment on the banks of Peachtree Creek near Buford Highway on Tuesday. He is one of thousands facing similar situations across the vast metro Atlanta region.

Extended time outside in the kind of heat Atlanta is enduring this week is dangerous for anyone. But few groups are more vulnerable than those experiencing homelessness. Other cities, like Phoenix, have found that unhoused people account for an outsized proportion of those killed by heat.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a heat advisory Tuesday for most of central and north Georgia, as “feels like” temperatures soared to between 105 and 108 degrees across most of Georgia. Highs are set to jump back into the upper 90s on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Combined with the high humidity that is forecast, it could feel more like 105 or 110 degrees in many parts of the state.

In the Atlanta area, options are limited for those without housing or air conditioning to cool off in a heat wave.

There’s a patchwork of cooling centers, libraries and community centers run by cities and counties, but their hours vary and facilities often open their doors on short notice. The city of Atlanta has one cooling center that will remain open through Saturday, but did not immediately respond to questions about any additional steps it is taking to protect the homeless from the heat. Other facilities are also open in Cobb and DeKalb counties and College Park.

But for those facing homelessness, getting to and from them is a major barrier, advocates say. Instead, gas stations, restaurants and even public splash pads are sought out as unofficial — albeit temporary — places of refuge for those most at-risk.

With Atlanta facing more heat waves from human-caused climate change, Tracy Woodard, a homeless services team leader for Intown Cares, a nonprofit that fights homelessness and hunger in the city, said she thinks the city has more work to do.

“Atlanta is pretty good about opening warming centers when it’s cold,” said Woodard, who visited the camp along Peachtree Creek Tuesday to tell residents that free medical care would be offered on Wednesday. “But I feel like the city has been completely unprepared for this heat and how it affects the homeless population.”

To mitigate heat in the long-term, Mayor Andre Dickens has pledged to plant trees to cool the city’s concrete-dominated urban core. City Council has also said it will consider more updates to the city’s dated tree protection ordinance.

But in the meantime, few guardrails exist for those living on the street.

The human body has two main mechanisms for releasing heat and maintaining a safe core temperature. The first is to push blood flow toward the skin, which allows the body to transfer excess heat to the muscles, then the skin and then out into the environment. The second is by sweating, which evaporates and releases heat.

As temperatures rise, the body’s air conditioning systems can start to break down.

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

“That can cause a cascade of failures as our body works hard to get heat out of the core and into the environment,” said Kristie Ebi, a professor of health and the global environment at the University of Washington.

Signs of heat exhaustion include headaches, nausea, profuse sweating, dizziness and confusion. If the body’s internal temperature continues to climb, heat stroke can occur. Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions are at a heightened risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.

Though natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes grab more headlines, extreme heat kills more people annually in the U.S. Heat contributes to an average of 702 deaths each year, according to the CDC. Many experts say the actual death toll is likely much higher.

Daytime highs are dangerous for unhoused people without a place to cool off. But abnormally high nighttime temperatures can compound their risk too, Ebi said, by robbing the body of its one chance to cool down and recharge.

On Wednesday, Atlanta was expected to flirt with a record-high overnight low, the NWS said, with temperatures only expected to dip to about 78 degrees, before rising back into the 90s during the day.

There are other ways that heat can create danger for those living without a roof.

Several studies have found that heat increases irritability and aggression, and Woodard has seen the effects firsthand.

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

A few weeks ago, Woodard said she witnessed a man make a snide remark toward a woman living in one of the camps she visits. It was a brutally hot day and the woman, who she said is normally friendly and reserved, became enraged and attacked the man with a stick.

“I feel like if we had a place where she could have gone to go cool off, drink some water and step away from the situation, she would have been fine,” Woodard said. “But there’s no place to go, right?”

Cooling Centers

A note of disclosure

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