Three Multnomah County cooling centers opening at noon today, Saturday, July 6; sites will reopen again at noon, Sunday, July 7

July 6, 2024

Media contact:
Denis Theriault and Julia Comnes, pressoffice@multco.us

Photos are available here.

NEWS RELEASE: Three Multnomah County cooling centers opening at noon today, Saturday, July 6; sites will reopen again at noon, Sunday, July 7

Dangerous heat also affects people in housing, as well as those working and playing outside; community volunteers sought as heatwave is forecast to stretch into next week

Cots await guests at the County's Cook Plaza cooling center on July 5, 2024.
Multnomah County, Ore. (July 6, 2024) — Multnomah County will open three daytime cooling centers Saturday, July 6, at noon, to provide relief from the dangerous heat. The cooling centers will stay open until 10 p.m. tonight, and will reopen on Sunday, July 7, at noon.

Multnomah County Library will also extend hours at Central (801 S.W. 10th Ave., Portland) and Gresham (385 N.W. Miller Ave., Gresham) libraries until 9 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, with bottled water on hand, to provide additional places where people can go during the hottest parts of the day and evening. 

These three cooling centers will be open Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7, from noon to 10 p.m.:

PLEASE NOTE! ONE PREVIOUSLY OFFERED SITE WILL NOT REOPEN TODAY: Due to challenges with its HVAC system yesterday, the Hugo will not be reopening as planned. Staff will be on-site at the Hugo into the evening to redirect people to an open cooling center. Transportation will be available.

With forecasts showing this emergency will stretch into next week, Multnomah County is also recruiting community volunteers to support our cooling centers. 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.

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.

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.

On Friday, July 5 — the first day cooling centers opened — a couple dozen people accessed the spaces.

Multnomah County can expand some current sites if demand for cooling centers increases, and can also extend hours or open additional sites as needed. Unlike overnight warming shelters, people are more likely to come in and out of cooling centers over the course of the day, so the amount of people served can be larger than maximum capacity.

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. through Monday, July 8. Anyone needing additional transportation help should call 211 for a free ride to a cooling space.

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.

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 or other circumstances. Always go to multco.us/hot for the latest information. 

Outreach continues across City and County

Through July 5, the Department of County Human Services contacted 6,650 providers and vulnerable people in housing with information on heat safety and resources available during the heatwave. Staff have 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 reached out directly 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.

From July 3 to 5, the Joint Office supply center provided outreach groups with 76,488 individual bottles of water, 7,500 electrolyte packets, 7,500 sunscreen packets, 3,000 cooling towels, 1,500 reusable drinking bottles and 1,500 misting bottles, all of which will be distributed to people in need.

City, County and State declare states 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.

Additionally, Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency on Friday, enabling greater collaboration, resources and support for counties across the state, including Multnomah County. 

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.

Those concerned about paying their utility bill can visit 211info.org/get-help/utility-assistance or call 211 to find assistance programs that may be available in your area.

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.

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.