Baltimore agencies have activated emergency heat protocols and halted evictions in response to dangerously high temperatures this week, marking the beginning of another scorching summer.
Heat index values are expected to exceed 110 degrees this week, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an extreme heat warning. The Baltimore City Health Department’s first Code Red Extreme Heat Alert of the year went into effect on June 22 and will last through June 26. Cooling stations have been opened throughout the city — with additional locations activated due to rising temperatures — and the sheriff’s office has paused eviction enforcement during that time under a new state law.
“The health and safety of Baltimore’s residents is the City’s foremost priority as we head into this season’s first period of sustained high heat in our region,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. “The city is taking every step and precaution necessary to protect residents and city workers during this heat wave. That is why I strongly urge every resident to take proper precautions, check on vulnerable friends and family, and use our City-designated cooling centers.”
A list of cooling centers, most of which offer Wi-Fi, and recommendations for staying safe in the heat can be found here. On June 24, the city opened additional centers. The new locations can be found here.
In addition to the cooling centers, the health department’s recommendations include the following:
- Drink plenty of water
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine
- Reduce outdoor activities
- Stay inside during the hottest time of day (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Seek relief from the heat in air-conditioned locations
- Check on older adults and vulnerable individuals in your community who may need assistance in the heat
This week’s temperatures come on the heels of a new state law designed to increase protections for residents during extreme weather conditions.
Under the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act, which went into effect in 2024, jurisdictions are prohibited from carrying out evictions “during extreme weather conditions affecting the property, including below-freezing temperatures, or winter storm or blizzard warnings, hurricane or tropical storm warnings, and excessive heat warnings issued by the National Weather Service.”
On June 22, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office announced that evictions would be paused through June 26, lasting for the same period of time as the Code Red Extreme Heat Alert.
“Residents of residential properties scheduled for eviction should be aware that the extreme weather only postpones the eviction for the duration of the heat wave,” a press release from the sheriff’s office stated.
“Additionally, the new law mandates that the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office must reschedule the postponed evictions within five days of the end of the excessive heat warning, and it does not require a reposting of the property with the updated eviction date.”
The extreme temperatures this week mark a continuation of what some experts have considered the new normal, comprising increasingly hot summers due to climate change and other factors.
Dan Hofmann, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said the temperatures are high but “not unheard of.”
“We’re kind of in-between normal and what would be considered record [temperatures],” Hofmann said.
Earlier this month, a new outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center forecasted a warmer-than-usual summer this year in the Baltimore area. Previously, both 2023 and 2024 saw the hottest temperatures on record.
The state health department’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported six heat-related deaths in Baltimore last year. There have been no heat-related deaths reported so far this year.