Media contact:
Denis Theriault and Julia Comnes, pressoffice@multco.us
NEWS RELEASE: Multnomah County announces daytime cooling centers will remain open Friday, July 5, and reopen Saturday, July 6
Multnomah County, Ore. (July 5, 2024) — Multnomah County will open three daytime cooling centers Friday, July 5, 2024, noon to 10 p.m., and those cooling centers will reopen Saturday, July 6, from noon to 10 p.m. — as dangerous heat is forecast to continue over the next several days.
Additionally, the County is extending hours into the evening at two large libraries Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
People who don’t have a cool place to be should strongly consider spending time at a cooling center or cool space listed on the interactive map, which shows libraries, splash pads, pools, and other cool locations.
TriMet won't turn away anyone riding to or from a cooling center who cannot pay fare between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily, today through Monday, July 8.
The three cooling centers will be open both Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6, from noon to 10 p.m.:
- Cook Plaza, 19421 S.E. Stark St., Gresham
- Portland Covenant Church, 4046 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland
- The Hugo, 6221 N.E. 82nd Ave., Portland
And a fourth site will open Saturday, July 6:
- Congregation Beth Israel, 1972 N.W. Flanders St., Portland
Flyers showing what’s open Friday, July 5:
Today and through the weekend, Multnomah County Library is extending hours at the Central (801 S.W. 10th Ave., Portland) and Gresham (385 N.W. Miller Ave., Gresham) libraries until 9 p.m., with bottled water on hand, to provide additional places where people can go during the hottest parts of the day and evening.
Cooling centers will be staffed by County and State employees, as well as contracted providers including Do Good Multnomah and Cultivate Initiatives. The cooling centers will provide food and water in safe, air-conditioned places to hang out. No one will be turned away and pets are welcome.
Multnomah County is also recruiting community volunteers to support our emergency severe weather shelters. Visit the Volunteer at a County Emergency Shelter page for information about the General Staff role, links to sign up for open shifts and details about trainings.
Cooling centers will remain open as long as conditions warrant. Additional spaces may open, and locations and hours may change, in response to evolving forecasts. Always go to multco.us/hot for the latest information.
Early preparations as County, City of Portland declare a state of emergency
Multnomah County has been in enhanced operations since Tuesday, July 2, to plan for the heat. This week, the County began increasing outreach to people experiencing homelessness, vulnerable clients and elders, including making contact with building managers and community-based organizations.
The County holds daily coordination calls with more than 140 staff along with partners from cities and agencies to consider opening cooling centers. Those calls include detailed briefings from the National Weather Service.
County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson on Wednesday, July 3, declared a state of emergency effective noon Friday through noon Monday, July 8. Mayor Ted Wheeler also declared a state of emergency for the City of Portland, through July 7. The declarations provide County departments and City bureaus with increased flexibility to respond during the highest-risk heat days.
Through July 4, the Department of County Human Services contacted 6,500 providers and vulnerable people in housing with information on heat safety and resources available during the heatwave. Staff also called nearly 900 property managers with information on when to do welfare checks and to ask that they post safety information for their tenants. Staff also did direct outreach to large apartment buildings in areas with higher heat risk to help property managers contact tenants.
Also since Wednesday, July 3, the Joint Office has worked with outreach teams, mutual aid groups and community volunteers to coordinate outreach efforts and bring hot weather gear to people living without shelter across Multnomah County. That coordinated outreach will continue through early next week.
Since July 3, the Joint Office supply center has provided outreach groups with 54,192 individual bottles of water, 1,920 cooling towels, 4,800 electrolyte packets, 4,800 sunscreen packets, 960 reusable drinking bottles and 960 misting bottles, all of which will be distributed to people in need.
Air conditioning is a key to staying safe
People should find an air-conditioned space for even a few hours of relief — whether they are housed or houseless.
Dr. Richard Bruno, Multnomah County Health Officer, said because we’ve had few hot days so far this year, our bodies have not yet acclimated to the heat. People working and playing outside this weekend face the highest risk of heat illness due to prolonged time in the sun, along with a higher likelihood of dehydration. He also flagged that temperatures will be even higher near artificial turf and asphalt.
Dr. Bruno advised people to drink more water and find places to cool off. Even a few hours in air conditioning can make a big difference, he said.
While the heat risk to people living outside is well understood, many people don’t realize how dangerous heat is to elders, young children and people with health conditions such as heart disease. The majority of those who died in Multnomah County of extreme heat during the June 2021 heat dome and heat waves since then were alone in their own homes and either didn’t have air conditioning or had not turned it on.
In 2023 alone, Multnomah County, in partnership with community-based organizations, installed over 1,200 heat pumps (for heating and cooling) for individuals and families identified as high-risk by the Department of County Human Services. In 2022, 175 heat pumps were installed. In addition, the department has distributed 6,000 cooling kits between 2022 and 2024.
The Department of County Human Services also offers a program to replace wood stoves with heat pumps for both heating and cooling. While the program is open to all, priority is given to low- and moderate-income households in specific areas. The program is also available to rental units with homeowner approval. For more information, visit multco.us/dchs/wood-burning-exchange.
Stay informed and check on your community
If you are concerned that someone may be in distress because of the heat, you can ask how they're doing and if they need help finding a cool space.
Heat illness requires action and possibly medical attention. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. If you're not comfortable approaching them, you can call the City of Portland non-emergency line at 503-823-3333 and say “welfare check.” If you see someone having a medical emergency, call 911. Hold times may be longer during the July 4 holiday weekend.
- Help for When it's Hot: Latest information from the County on cooling centers, health and safety.
- 211 Info: Call to find the cooling center nearest you and for transportation support.
- Public Alerts: Sign up to receive safety alerts in your area.
- National Weather Service: Check the forecast and plan outdoor activities for coolest times of day.
- Aging and Disability Resource Connection: 24-hour information and assistance to older people, people with disabilities and caregivers. Connect with them at 503-988-3646 or adrc@multco.us.