Milwaukee braces for triple digit heat wave

NOW: Milwaukee braces for triple digit heat wave
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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - People are bracing for the heat wave all over the city.

Some people just can’t avoid the heat, and that has the city and residents stepping up to help.

“It’s pretty hot, very hot,” said one Milwaukee resident enjoying a day at the lakefront Wednesday.

People ventured out along the lake even though temperatures are rising. “I’m just drinking water, hoping that’ll be good,” they said.

Some chose the water to stay cool, and others stayed in the shade.

The hot temps are only going to get worse, rising to dangerous levels.

The Salvation Army is beating the heat with cooling centers around the city, making sure people have a safe place to go.

“Anybody can come,” said Lt. Patricia Williams from inside a Salvation Army cooling center. “A lot of the people in our neighborhood are homeless, and they are out there on the street all day, all evening, all night. So as soon as those doors open, they come flooding through the doors.”

Along with air conditioned rooms, they have plenty of water.

“We do have nice bottles of cold water that we will give to anyone who walks through the door,” said Lt. Williams.

Kaela Zielinksi has cold bottles of water out on her front porch.  “It’s an easy thing to do for our mail carrier,” said Zileinksi.

She has the water in an icy bowl, and sets it out around the time the mail is delivered every day.

Zielinski knows people like mail carriers have no choice but to brave the heat, and she wanted to help.

“Just sweaty, hot, carrying mail, so it’s the little things we can do for some of our important service people,” she said.

With temps skyrocketing into triple digits, Zielinski hopes others follow her lead. But what she won’t do is complain.

“I feel like you can only complain about one season, and it’s winter for me,” laughed Zielinski.

Along with the Salvation Army, the city and county also have cooling centers open. 

Here is a list of the available shelters.

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