Heat Advisory Issued in Cherokee for Independence Day

Residents celebrating the Fourth of July outdoors in Cherokee County should take precautions amid temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes rising above 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS has issued a heat advisory for Cherokee and other parts of northwest and central Georgia for 1-7 p.m. July 4. Other areas in the advisory include Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Rome, Athens and Macon.

Residents in the area are advised to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. When outside, the NWS says to wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, and try to limit activities to early morning or evening. If you're working outside, schedule frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

If you see signs of a heat stroke, call 911.

In Cherokee County, the high is forecast to reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit, per the NWS, with heat index values, or "feels like" temperatures, as high as 104.

In some parts of the advisory area, the heat index could be as high as 109.

MUST Ministries' Hope House Cooling Center in Marietta will be open noon to 6:30 p.m. July 4 and is scheduled to remain open daily through July 10. The Hope House shelter is at 1297 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta. Visitors there will be served lunch and dinner.