PORTLAND, Ore. — Overnight cooling shelters in Portland and throughout Multnomah County will stay open through Sunday evening as the ongoing heat wave heads into a brutal final stretch, with temperatures forecasted to potentially top 100 degrees on Friday and Saturday.
Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler spoke at a news conference Friday afternoon and discussed the ongoing response to the heat wave and strategies for Portlanders to stay safe.
"The latest forecast shows we are entering the most dangerous stretch of this extended heat wave," Kafoury said. "We are about to experience the highest temperatures of an already very long heat event, and with the low temperatures predicted to stay above 70 degrees, the evenings and nights will not bring any relief.
Kafoury asked housing providers to be proactive about taking care of their residents by personally checking in with their tenants to provide information about cooling centers and help coordinate free rides to cooling spaces. She extended the same invitation to community members.
"Please check in on your next-door neighbors. Be a part of this effort," she said.
People can dial 2-1-1 to find a cooling space or transportation to a cooling space. More information about cooling centers can be found on the Multnomah County website.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an excessive heat warning starting Monday, July 25, that has now been extended through Sunday, July 31.
Overnight lows have remained in the mid to upper 60s and are expected to continue to do so for the remainder of the heat wave, providing little relief for those without air conditioning.
“The City of Portland is preparing to protect our most vulnerable residents during this approaching heat wave, and are working with our regional partners to ensure that there is a place for everyone at a cooling center,” Wheeler said in a press release at the start of the week. “Start getting prepared now, and don’t forget to check on your neighbors.”
How to stay cool in Portland and Multnomah County
Multnomah County and Portland released a shared list of cooling center locations, including one daytime center and four overnight centers. All five opened at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The daytime shelter will close at 10 p.m., and the other four will stay open 24 hours a day through at least Saturday morning:
- 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, Portland
- Old Town (daytime only): 435 N.W. Glisan St., Portland
Additionally, Portland will operate a half dozen "misting stations" at six city parks to help people keep cool outdoors. All six stations will run from noon to 8 p.m.:
- East Portland Community Center: 740 S.E. 106th Ave.
- Glenhaven Park, near skate park: 7900 N.E. Siskiyou St.
- Harney Park, near restroom: S.E. 67th Ave. and S.E. Harney Street
- Knott Park, west restroom: N.E. 112th Ave. and N.E. Russell Street
- Lents Park, at Walker Stadium: 4808 S.E. 92nd Ave.
- Mt. Scott Community Center, near playgrounds: 5530 S.E. 72nd Ave.
Three Multnomah County libraries extended their hours to stay open until 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to Multnomah County. The Gresham and Holgate locations will now be open until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday as well.
- Central: 801 S.W. 10th Ave.
- Gresham: 385 N.W. Miller Ave.
- Holgate: 7905 S.E. Holgate Blvd.
The other regional library locations are:
- Albina: 216 N.E. Knott St.
- Capitol Hill, 10723 S.W. Capitol Hwy.
- Fairview-Columbia: 1520 N.E. Village St.
- Gregory Heights: 7921 N.E. Sandy Blvd.
- Kenton: 8226 N. Denver Ave.
- North Portland: 512 N. Killingsworth St.
- Northwest: 2300 N.W. Thurman St.
- Rockwood: 17917 S.E. Stark St.
- Sellwood-Moreland: 7860 S.E. 13th Ave.
- St. Johns: 7510 N. Charleston Ave.
- Troutdale: 2451 S.W. Cherry Park Rd.
- Woodstock: 6008 S.E. 49th Ave.
The Lloyd Center mall will also operate on extended hours starting Tuesday, staying open until 10 p.m.
You can dial 2-1-1 to find a cooling space or transportation to a cooling space. More information about cooling centers can be found on the Multnomah County website.
In addition, officials said TriMet will not turn away anyone riding to a cool place who cannot afford to pay fare starting Monday. That policy will last for the duration of the heat wave. Riders are asked to let bus drivers know they are heading to a cooling space.
Officials said to check trimet.org/alerts and plan early for the possibility of heat-related bus and MAX delays.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services has already been distributing supplies to people living outside. Outreach teams have distributed 28, 830 bottles of water, 4,000 electrolyte packets, 1,846 cooling towels, 820 refillable bottles and 820 misting bottles since last Tuesday.
How to stay cool in Washington County
The City of Hillsboro will open four libraries and community centers on extended hours to serve as cooling shelters, the city announced Monday. In addition to air conditioning, each location will have seating, activities and access to water:
- Brookwood Library, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
2850 N.E. Brookwood Parkway - Shute Park Library, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
775 S.E. 10th Avenue - Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center, 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
953 S.E. Maple Street - Hidden Creek Community Center, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
5100 N.E. Hidden Creek Drive
The city also announced on Tuesday that it would open a pet-friendly cooling space at the Salvation Army building located at 1440 S.E. 21st Avenue until 9 p.m. Tuesday evening. A second pet-friendly shelter will open Wednesday at the Beaverton Community Center, 12350 S.W. 5th Street.
Animals must be leashed when using the relief area and in crates for the rest of the time. Washington County Animal Services will be on hand to provide crates, leashes and food supplies as needed.
The city will also operate six "spraygrounds," which will be either misting centers or existing public fountains. Most of them are open from 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.:
- 53rd Avenue Community Park: 300 N.E. 53rd Avenue, Hillsboro
- Butternut Creek Park: 7830 S.E. Deline Street, Hillsboro
- Jerry Willey Plaza: 943 N.E. Orenco Station Loop, Hillsboro
- Magnolia Park: 1810 N.E. 102nd Avenue, Hillsboro
- Tom Hughes Civic Center Plaza: 150 E. Main Street, Hillsboro
- Walnut Street Park:1717 S.E. Walnut Street, Hillsboro
More information is available at Hillsboro-Oregon.gov/Heat.
The City of Beaverton will open an overnight cooling shelter for people and pets at the Beaverton Community Center located at 12350 Southwest 5th Street. It will operate from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. on July 27 and July 28 through Friday morning. Additional nights may be added, depending on weather conditions.
Beaverton will also operate an afterhours cooling center at the main Beaverton City Library, located at 12375 Southwest 5th Street. The afterhours cooling center will be open at the following times:
- Tuesday, July 26, 7-9 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 27, 7-9 p.m.
- Thursday, July 28, 6-9 p.m.
- Friday, July 29, 6-9 p.m.
How to stay cool in Clackamas and Clark counties
There will be two overnight cooling shelters operating Tuesday and Wednesday in Clackamas County, the county announced Tuesday. More information is available at Clackamas.us/relief, as well as on the Clackamas County website.
The first shelter is at The Father's Heart, 603 12th Street in Oregon City. Daytime hours will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and nighttime hours will be 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Service pets are accepted but must be on leash or in carriers.
The second shelter is at Molalla HOPE, Inc., 209 Kennel Avenue, Molalla. Daytime hours are noon to 8 p.m. and nighttime hours are 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Service dogs are allowed and small pets are allowed but must stay in a kennel while indoors.
A list of cooling spaces for Clark County, Wash. can be found here.
Check on your neighbors and plan ahead
Dozens of Oregonians died during last summer's June heat dome event. Of those, 78% were 60 or older and 71% lived alone. The vast majority did not have a working AC unit, Multnomah County officials said.
In order to keep elderly neighbors and loved ones safe, officials recommend that you check on them frequently until the heat wave's ever, and to make a plan to give them breaks from the heat.
Officials also recommend for people to avoid using the oven or stove during the heat wave, and to sleep with windows open at night or wake up early in the morning to open them when the temperatures are cooler.