Beating the summer heat in Columbia can be tough.
That’s why the city of Columbia has launched misting stations to help relieve residents from the heat.
The city Parks and Recreation Department has installed stations throughout nine Columbia parks: the Saluda Riverwalk, Owens Field, Martin Luther King Park, Hollywood Rose Hill Park, Rosewood, Riverfront North, Riverfront South, Granby Park and Southeast Park.
Heat-related illnesses are of high concern during the summer months.
Officials say the stations are there to help prevent chances of heat exhaustion and lower body temperature.
The misting stations are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Columbia isn't the only South Carolina city seeking to keep residents cool.
In the Upstate, Greenville, Spartanburg and Pickens opened up cooling stations during a heatwave last month.
The Spartanburg County Emergency Management also opened a hot weather shelter at 701 Saxon Ave., along with eight other locations at local fire departments.
These shelters are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and offer free water and air conditioning.
Miracle Hill Rescue Mission in both Spartanburg and Gaffney also serves as a cooling station from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
And the Community Resource Center in North Charleston plans to open cooling stations again this summer if the heat index reaches above 105 degrees, said its Executive Director Louis Smith.
The centers would again provide the same amenities in years past, and would be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
