TAMPA, Fla — With record-breaking temperatures and heat indices above 105, people living on the street told said it feels like a summer unlike any other. Local shelters said they've seen a significant jump in people needing a break from the heat.
"It's been extremely bad. I'm just drenched in sweat. I feel like I've hopped out of a pool most days," Storm Arterbury said.
Arterbury is bearing the heat of the summer as he looks to Safe Harbor in Pinellas County for a place to keep cool.
"It's tough. It's the summertime in Florida, but it keeps getting hotter and hotter every year," Arterbury explained.
The Homeless Leadership Alliance in Pinellas County said over the past couple of weeks, the number of families and people asking for help has skyrocketed.
"It's actually really scary right now. We're seeing a huge increase right now, with people saying it's so hot. We're scared. We don't know what to do. We don't know where to go," Dr. Monika Alesnik, CEO of the Homeless Leadership Alliance in Pinellas County, said.
Now with the heat, it's a situation Dr. Alesnik said is more than worrisome.
"We are not equipped in our community to handle: A. this type of weather and B. the number of homeless people in our community who literally have no place to go when it's this hot. These are children. These are families. These are veterans," Dr. Alesnik added.
Meanwhile, Arterbury said thankfully, he was able to get shelter at Safe Harbor, but it wasn't easy.
"I've called several. I've called Salvation Army. I've called the Pinellas Hope. They've all told me they were full. This is almost a last resort spot; I would say, pretty much in the county," Arterbury explained.
Dr. Alesnik said around the holidays, people came out by the dozens to donate, ready to help.
She's asking for that same support this summer, whether that's giving out water or an umbrella to those out on the street as more people find themselves without shelter.
"We're in the midst of horrific weather conditions without safe places, enough safe places, for people to go. Please stay hydrated. If you have the ability to help your neighbors, help your neighbors. Not all of our neighbors have a roof over our heads," Dr. Alesnik said.
