Multnomah County and the city of Portland will open four overnight cooling shelters starting Tuesday to provide relief from a heat wave that’s blanketing the area.
The agencies also are opening one daytime cooling center and extending the hours of three libraries to 9 p.m. to offer heat relief into the evening hours.
Clackamas and Washington counties also will provide daytime cooling centers, with some libraries and community centers in Clackamas County open until 8 p.m. and in Washington County until 9 p.m. Their lists of locations can be viewed at www.clackamas.us/relief and www.staycoolwashingtoncounty.com.
Daytime temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s through Friday, with the hottest day predicted on Tuesday with a temperature of 102. Night-time temperatures also are expected to dip to only 65 to 70 degrees, making it difficult for residents without air conditioning to cool their superheated homes.
Excessive heat has taken on a new and more serious meaning since last summer, when three days in late June set consecutive all-time records. On June 28, 2021, it reached 116 in Portland. Close to 100 people died from heat-related causes across the state, 69 in Multnomah County. Though temperatures aren’t expected to get anywhere near as high, government officials are still stressing the dangers of overheating in this upcoming heat wave.
The four overnight cooling shelters in Multnomah County will open Tuesday at 2 p.m. at:
- Charles Jordan Community Center: 9009 N. Foss Ave., Portland
- East Portland Community Center: 740 S.E. 106th Ave., Portland
- Portland Building: 1120 S.W. 5th Ave., Portland
- Sunrise Center: 18901 E. Burnside, Gresham
Multnomah County’s daytime cooling center will be open Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 435 N.W. Glisan Street in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood. County officials say the overnight shelters and daytime center will opened on consecutive nights if needed, with the county making an announcement each day as it comes.
Lloyd Center shopping mall also has offered the mall up as a place to beat the heat, with closing time at 10 p.m. Tuesday through at least Thursday.
“I’m grateful to the folks at Lloyd Center for offering their iconic building as a cooling center,” said Jonna Papaefthimiou, chief resilience officer for the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, in a news release. “They show a real commitment to the community by welcoming everyone and extending their hours during this heat.”
Both Multnomah County and Portland have declared a heat emergency. The Joint Office of Homeless Services and other organizations are giving away thousands of bottles of water and hundreds of cooling kits.
TriMet won’t turn away riders who say they can’t afford fare to a cool space. TriMet advises the public to check trimet.org/alerts because there may be heat-related transportation delays.
Members of the public who need transportation to a cool space should call 211.
Portland also will operate misting stations from noon to 8 p.m. starting Tuesday at the following six locations: Glenhaven Park near the skate area, Harney Park near the restroom, Knott Park near the west restroom, Lents Park at Walker Stadium, Mt. Scott Park near the playground and next to the East Portland Community Center.
-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee
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