PORTLAND, Ore. — Everything from cooling blankets to water pallets and pet supplies fill Multnomah County’s extreme weather gear warehouse in Northeast Portland. It holds all one might need to stay safe as extreme heat is expected to hit the region later this week.
On Thursday morning, the county announced it would open three cooling center, two in Portland and one in Gresham, on Friday at noon. The cooling centers will not be open on July Fourth, the county said, because temperatures will not yet be hot enough to meet thresholds for opening cooling centers.
TriMet will provide free rides to anyone going to a cooling space who can't pay their fare starting at 10 a.m. Friday, two hours before the centers open. Anyone who needs additional transportation help should call 211.
The county said the cooling centers will have air conditioning, plus food and water. Nobody will be turned away and pets are welcome. The cooling centers will remain open as long as conditions warrant, the county said. For the latest information, visit multco.us/hot.
Here's the information on the cooling centers that will open:
- Cook Plaza - 19421 Southeast Stark Street, Gresham. Open Friday, July 5, noon to 10 p.m.
- Portland Covenant Church - 4046 Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Portland. Open Friday, July 5, noon to 10 p.m.
- The Hugo - 6221 Northeast 82nd Avenue, Portland. Open Friday, July 5, noon to 10 p.m.
- Two large libraries will extend hours into the evening. More info here.
Surrounding cities like Beaverton and even Clackamas County already have plans to open cooling centers this week. For a look at all the cooling centers that are open in the Portland metro area, including outside of Multnomah County, click or tap here.
The cooling centers will be staffed by county and state employees and contracted providers, but the county is also asking for community volunteers to help. For more information or to sign up for open shifts and details about trainings, click or tap here.
County staff meets with the National Weather Service daily to decide if and when they will open cooling centers.
"This specific event we started conversations about several days ago when we started to see there was the possibility of several days of prolonged heat,” said Chris Voss, Multnomah County’s emergency management director. "Really important to note that there's a lot of factors that we look at."
On Wednesday afternoon, Multnomah County chair Jessica Vega Pederson declared a state of emergency starting at noon on Friday and lasting until noon on Monday due to dangerous heat and forecasts of 100 degrees or higher.
"The County and its partners are preparing to open cooling centers and offer other cool spaces in light of the forecast," the county said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "The location and hours of operation for any cooling centers will be announced the day before the County determines the threshold has been passed."
What's the threshold? It's actually a series of thresholds. Here's the rundown:
- Threshold 1: First 90 degree day of the year
- Multnomah County and its partners hold a situational awareness conference call to discuss logistics, plans and communication.
- Threshold 2: The National Weather Service issues a Heat Advisory, Heat Watch, Heat Warning, or sends a Weather Briefing
- Multnomah County shifts to enhanced operations, and additional communications are planned and pushed out.
- Threshold 3: The National Weather Service’s HeatRisk tool forecasts areas of our County at high risk, Red
- County offices and leadership hold coordination calls and may consider activating cooling centers or shelters.
- Threshold 4: The HeatRisk tool forecasts areas of our County at extreme risk, Magenta
- County offices and leadership hold coordination calls and will activate cooling shelters.
"In public health, we are trying to spread the word to stay hydrated and go into shade if you are feeling hot and try to prevent any heat-related related illness this week," said Richard Bruno, the Multnomah County health officer.